For This Act of Treason
by LokisChampion
Summary: AU: Thor and the Warriors 3 travel to Jotunhiem where they break out in battle with the frost giants. They are saved by one of them, who is cast out by his father Laufey. As their relationship progresses, Loki becomes someone entirely different, a new power takes over after a certain accident takes place. (Unrelated Thor/Loki) Cover is by Tumblr User: hele-pj, all rights go to her!
1. Frozen Wastes

Loki lay in the frozen wastes of Jotunhiem, the freezing wind laying prey to his adapted, deep blue skin. His long black hair stopped just below his shoulders in curls at the ends, thick locks. He wore a black leather cuirass with green accents with black leather boots, no gloves were needed he watched intently in the distance, placing his fingers on the edge of the rock. He saw his breath creating small mists of fog in the air as he hunched behind a rock, watching the visitors from another realm roam their ice floors.

Taking a small look again, he laid his eyes on them, curious as to why they had come. There were four men and one woman. One of the men had short black hair and wore a purple and black armor combo, while another had short blond hair and golden armor, a goatee playing on his mouth as he eyed the only woman in their company. She had long black hair in a ponytail that swayed around her in the wind, fair skin and she wore sliver and deep red armor as she looked to the back of the company. He was a heavyset man who had a brown beard and short hair in a small ponytail. He carried an axe in one hand as he trudged along behind them when Loki's eyes shifted to the apparent leader of their company. He had golden hair that hung to his shoulders, a red cape graced his shoulders and flew out at his back and down his legs as his sliver armor clung to his body, making him look tough when Loki eyed the enormous hammer in his hand. Just as the group reached the outskirts of his father's throne room, he knew he had to do something so these people wouldn't get hurt.

Slinking out from behind his rock, Loki crawled nearly on all-fours, extending his legs far beneath him as he moved silently, cautiously watching the young trespassers come closer to their impending doom. He stopped when he reached a pillar of solid ice and he simply watched the leader in awe, taking in his features from his vantage point. Loki had excellent sight and he had no trouble seeing everything, every detail and every breath he took, the flux of his throat and the twitch in his fingers as the cold hit them. He watched everything move in his body, the stance of his muscles defaulted to, the way his chest rose and fell and the clouds expelled from his mouth.

Loki jumped when he heard the abrupt movement of his father on the throne, jerking his head to see his father stand to his gigantic height. He knew he must act fast if he was to save these men and woman. He slid back out to another rock closer to the group, waiting, listening to the transaction between them.

"You've come a long way to die, Asgardians." His father said in a husky tone, the wind carrying it all around his unwelcome visitors.

"I am Thor Odinson." The visitor said, and Loki gasped at the realization, peeking back over his rock to look at the back of the God. He felt his heart beating faster in the cold as his breathing quickened, and he had to duck at the sight of the woman turning in his direction. When he was hidden, he gasped at all the frost giants around him, laying a trap around the young Gods.

"We know who you are…" Laufey said in a sultry voice, sending a shiver of alarm down Loki's spine as he pressed himself against the rock even harder, engaging a spell to make him blend into the rock, camouflaging himself from the eyes of the many giants around him.

"How did your people get into Asgard?" Thor hollered, and Loki risked another invisible glance over the rock, and he watched as some of the members realized just how outnumbered they were quickly becoming. He could see it in the woman's eyes that she grew nervous, wanting to leave as the man in purple soon mimicked, but they masked it generally quickly.

Loki watched with increasing worry about the visitors as the giants passed his rock, walking in closer, constricting them to their spot as Loki gripped the rock a little tighter. He has to do something, he thought, but what? With his smaller size, weaker strength but increased magic, what could he do against over maybe one hundred already of these giants? He flinched when he heard his father yell at them, turning his attention back to the altercation playing out in front of him.

"Your father is a murderer and a thief! And why have you come here, to make peace? You long for battle, you crave it! You're nothing but a boy trying to prove himself a man." Laufey said through tight teeth, Loki could see the reds of his eyes flaring a brighter shade, and that made him nervous. He stood behind the rock, still invisible by the spell he cast on himself as he looked around, trying to make his plan work.

Loki sniffed the air around him, able to smell the growing anticipation of a brawl, his fists clenching. He felt himself shaking at what he had to do, but just as he would act, it happened. Thor threw his hammer, knocking a giant down before the woman slashed a blade into his chest. The rest of them converged faster than Loki would ever anticipate and he watched in horror at first of his race ready to annihilate these young Gods for trespassing.

As the fight heated, Loki revealed himself before casting his hands to the ground, then pulling them up abruptly. The ice spikes shot at the line of giants on the perimeter when the woman turned to see him, attempting to aid them when Loki repeated this in a spot where Thor was overwhelmed with giants. As the ice impaled them, Thor looked and saw the Jotun he never met before helping them.

The blond and golden armored God went out with a scream as he was impaled by a spike of ice, and the woman and the heavyset man rushed to his side. Loki located the offending giant and threw a hand forward, revealing a spike of ice that imbedded itself in the giant's throat as it fell to the ground.

"Thor!" The woman called as the man was hoisted off the ice and onto the back of the heavyset warrior. Loki was on the perimeter of the battle with the three warriors when he looked back and saw the lightening. He looked back to the woman, making no sound, but motioning for them to run. He was surprised when they complied without asking questions, but Loki lagged behind, worried about their leader when he saw the ground begin to crumble from the lightning strike and the many bodies falling into the abyss.

Averting his eyes, he ran for all his might and concentrated on getting these few to safety. He caught the woman slowing so she could keep pace with him when they jumped over a few gaps in the ice, they heard the growl before they saw it. The claw caught the edge of the cliff when they skidded to a stop. The animal hoisted itself up and howled at them, drenching them with icy wind as Loki walked forward, pushing the warriors behind him, standing at the ready to face off the creature.

"Duck!" The woman called, taking Loki by surprise, pulling him down to the ground by the back of his legs. When they hit, the animal let out a scream and stopped breathing. When they looked up from the ground, the animal had a hole in its head as Thor fell to the ground in front of them. Loki pushed himself up, standing in front of the Gods before pushing line after line of spikes up from the ice, impaling incoming giants as he saw his father's form walking towards them as well.

Loki felt a flash of fear spread through him as he knew he would be executed for his act of treason to his own race. His excuse? His heart was melting by the heir of the enemy. Just as the troops where dulling out the spikes, a loud crash sounded behind him, as well as blinding light and the sound of a horse screaming harshly before the pounding of hooves sent a rumble through the floor.

Loki was staggered off balance as he fell to his knees, suddenly feeling the fatigue his fighting had put on his body as he tried to gain his breath back, hunching over when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Looking, he saw Thor with the shadow of his father, Odin Allfather, behind him on a massive horse, with eight legs.

The crack of an ice spike brought Loki and Thor's eyes back to Laufey, who had a spike high in the air, aimed at his son. Just as he would hurl it, Thor stood in front of the immobile Loki, arms outstretched. Loki felt struck, he didn't understand what was happening when the woman crouched beside him, hand on his shoulder as he coughed violently, the air suddenly too cold for his own lungs.

He listened to the following conversation.

"Allfather, what are your son and his ignorant friends doing here?" Laufey asked as the spike struck the ground not far from the group.

"End this now, Laufey. My son will do no more harm here." Odin said, and Loki looked up to the Allfather, noticing that his eye was trained on him. "Thank you for saving my son and his company." He said in a softer register in his voice, which made Loki ease his deep breathing, feeling like finally he had oxygen to work with.

"He is no son of mine." Laufey spat, and Loki flinched, but he rose to stand, the same height as Thor as he watched his father, ready for his sentence or even death. He remained silent, head bowed, like tradition called for.

"What would you do?" Thor asked, and Loki was unsure of the young God's motive here. He got nervous though.

"Excile. To Asgard." Laufey said so quickly that Loki feared this was his father's wishes all along, even from his birth. To give his son up so easily to the Asgardians seemed inhuman, but his father always had a cruel heart towards him, not his brothers. He assumed his punishment and rose his head.

"Very well, Laufey." Odin said. "Thor, come."

Loki felt Thor's hand on his shoulder as he took one last glance at his father, he smelled pure hatred in the air as he turned to face the Allfather, who was on the horse and holding his staff up high in the air. In the next second, they were engulfed in rainbow light.


	2. Adaptable

The flight in the rainbow cocoon was terribly fast as Loki didn't know what to do, but he felt fear flooding his body as they neared their destination. It was now, also, that he realized he hadn't spoken a word to his visitors. He would when they landed, he thought as they slowed before he was surrounded by gold replacing the rainbow colors. He stood on solid ground and swayed a little before he looked to the others, who landed with ease. Odin turned to him, Loki's deep blue skin making him stick out among the others.

"I must say, thank you again, young frost giant. I owe you a favor in time that I will repay." Odin said. Loki swallowed and bowed his head slowly before he heard Odin chuckle. "There's no need for that, son. What is your name?"

When Loki took a breath in, however, he began to choke in the warm atmosphere. He shook uncontrollably as he fell to his knees, hearing his heart rate spike as he wrapped his arms around himself, he coughed violently as he felt a hand on his shoulder, but he couldn't move his head just yet to see how it was. As he shook, he felt his temperature skyrocketing at an alarming pace but he closed his red eyes to it, trying to help himself get through this agony when he heard a collective gasp all around him.

Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that his blue skin was now a pale white, just like theirs, and his markings were gone. His cuirass remained the same, but his eyes were the last to change. Loki looked to the person beside him and saw Thor sitting there, concern in his eyes as he gasped as the young frost giant's eyes turned to a shade of green with a hint of blue in them. Loki caught this breath as he placed a hand on his forehead, feeling his temperature was stable, and he ran a hand through his thick hair that had stayed the same in the course of the change. He could feel no presence of his markings, and he felt a slight twinge of fear, but then he looked back up at the eyes of Thor, who smiled at him. Now he could fit in among them, not be questioned as to why he was here. This would be good.

He still needed to answer Odin's initial question that had set his change in motion. Not tearing his eyes away from the blue of Thor's, in a voice with an accent different from theirs, he spoke his name, finally.

"Loki." His voice quivered at first, but he grew stronger as he met eyes with Odin. "My name is Loki."

The Allfather nodded and turned to the others. "What's ours is yours, Loki." He said, giving him another glance. "I'm surprised at this change in appearance, but it must be natural for your people to change to adapt to different environments in order to survive. I will go and attend some duties, but I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

Loki bowed his head slightly as Odin left, followed by the Warriors 3, but Thor never left his side, not even moving his hand from his shoulder. Thor stood and gave Loki a hand, tentatively he took it and the young heir helped him up with a smile that still held his heart.

"So, shall I give you a tour?" Thor asked and Loki nodded as they set off on the strangest bridge Loki had ever seen, a pulsing bright rainbow bridge. He looked past that as he gave in to Thor's knowledge of his own realm, but he masked the sadness from his own that already lodged its way into his Asgardian heart.


	3. Warming Up

Loki stood on the balcony of the palace, watching Thor and Odin eating a feast with the Warriors 3 and Thor's mother, Frigga. He relished in the cold night air as he looked up and out at the realm of Jotunhiem, wrapping his arms around his leather clad body as a few shivers raked his spine. How he missed his family, but he knew all too well that they didn't miss him.

He heard footsteps behind him and he smiled, turning to see Frigga smiling at him.

"Does the cold sooth you?" She asked as he looked back out at the night sky.

"Not as much as it saddens me." He said before looking at her again. "With skin like yours, the cold runs right through me instead of becoming me."

"Yes, you could catch cold here." She said as they were interrupted by a bought of laughter from behind them. They turned to look and Loki's eyes lingered on Thor for a few seconds too long when he heard her speak again. "It's ok."

Loki turned his eyes to her again, unblinking as she smiled. "What?" He asked in a tone that was barely audible.

"I see how you look at him. I give you my blessing, son." She said and Loki felt his heart flutter and ache collectively as he looked back to the party.

"You have shown me such kindness since I've come. To give a complete stranger your home, resources and care is something I can never think to repay." He said, tightening his arms around his body as a bold wind flew through them.

"Well, I'll tell you how." She said as their eyes met again. "I want you to warm yourself up with this." He looked down and took the steaming cup of what smelled like warm ale, the warmth spreading through his palms and fingers as his long hands wrapped around it, the steam warming his lips as he took a sip and she smiled. "When you're done with it, come inside."

He gave her a sweet smile. "Thank you." He said.

Frigga placed her hand on his back, rubbing it in a circle before walking back inside, to spend time with her family before Loki looked back outside again, sipping his warm drink. How she reminded him of his own mother set his heart into another cold spot before he took another drink. He would have fun this night, he thought as he stared up at the stars, hearing the laughter not too far away. He would be a part of it.


	4. Homesick

Loki stood on the rainbow bridge that night, in the cold, as he stared up at his home. He wrapped his arms around his body as he watched the stars shimmer, the soft occasional flits of a light blue storm colliding with the ice in his realm made him feel an ache in his heart, but the memory of his father's eyes when he exiled him brought him back to reality when he was smacked on his shoulders hard. Looking down, he saw a red cape buttoned around his neck as he felt the warmth flow over him. When he found the strong hands still lingering there, he found the eyes of Thor and his heart skipped a beat as he felt a blush on his cheeks.

"Homesick?" Thor asked as he stepped up beside Loki.

Loki exhaled. "If that is what it can be called." He looked up at Thor. "I can't go back."

"Why?" Thor asked.

"Well, for one, my skin might change back, that would be a dead giveaway. Father would certainly kill me; make me an example for my people." Loki said, looking down at his feet and the pulsing light of the rainbow bridge beneath them. "I have no family to go back to if it were possible either." He looked back at Thor, making his heart speed up. "They're not like yours."

"What were they like?" Thor asked.

Loki chuckled. "Your mother reminds me of mine. She comes to kindness so easily, spends it too quickly." Loki swallowed. "One night, mother disappeared when a storm hit. Father sent out a search party for at least a day before she was presumed dead. He always deserved my yelling for those next few days. I hated that he gave up. My brothers were kind, but they were taken for training to resume the throne, so I had no real friends."

"What about your father?" Thor asked softly.

Loki shook his head. "Laufey is no father. He never was. He abused me verbally for my indifference to his family and that I tainted the royal bloodline. I suppose this is his final act to disown me." Loki wrapped his arms around himself. "He succeeded."

Thor didn't speak for a few moments, but only listened before he did speak only two words. "I'm sorry."

"I really cannot thank you enough for your family's kindness to a perfect stranger." Loki said, meeting Thor's blue eyes and making him forget to breathe momentarily.

"No payment is needed for a troubled soul, Loki." The use of his name on Thor's tongue sent shivers down the jotun's spine as he watched Thor, suddenly curious.

"Why did you go to Jotunhiem that day?" Loki asked. He watched Thor clench his jaw before he spoke, is eyes becoming hard in the darkness.

"You wished it hadn't happened." Thor said before turning and walking away. Loki panicked as he tried to catch up, pleading with Thor.

"No, Thor, that isn't what I meant." He clawed at his arm, trying to stop him. "Please, I wanted to see you again, just stop." He was pulling on his shoulder. "Thor, would you just listen-

Thor clasped his hand on Loki's wrist, turned around and kissed Loki hard on the lips. Loki was momentarily shocked at what was happening before his heart skipped a beat and his eyes slowly closed. Just as they did, Thor's lips removed from his and he walked away, leaving Loki in the cold night, still wrapped in his red cape.


	5. Strategy

Loki stood in the training room with Thor and the Warriors 3 opposite him. Today was Thor's turn to battle with him, so the Warriors were sitting on the opposite wall, watching patiently for the battle to begin. Loki felt himself getting nervous but quickly pushed it away as he spread his legs to stand in a stance rooted to the ground. Thor stood without his hammer around him, but he waited patiently for the battle to resume as well.

When the gong sounded, Thor brought his hand up and the hammer found his palm. Thor threw it but Loki dodged it. When the hammer returned to Thor, Loki threw some ice spikes at Thor, but he dodged them, letting some smash against the silver of his hammer before he ran towards the young frost giant. Loki brought his arms up to his chest, bringing a wall of ice in between them. Thor hit the hammer on it, making it crack, but nowhere close to shattering.

Loki stood back, watching as Thor ran around the wall and again threw the hammer. Loki dove to the ground, watching it fly over him and return to Thor. Just as it would hit his palm, Loki threw an ice dagger and it knocked the hammer off course and into the floor away from him. Thor ran at him and Loki rolled out from under his big foot as it hit the ground hard.

Thor grabbed Loki's ankle and pulled him up. When Loki was in midair, Thor swung his body away from him. As Loki flew through the air, he hit the ground hard, and with this contact, he heard Thor let out a grunt. When he opened his eyes, he saw Thor being contained in ice on his left leg. He jerked and moved with all his might but it wouldn't break. Loki moved his hand and the ice gave a little, cracking all the way down. Instead of freezing his leg, he froze Mjolnir to the ground.

Much to his success, Thor let his hand out to the hammer and the ice cracked as if it were no match for the might of Mjolnir. Loki felt a rush of fear come over him as Thor again ran towards him. Loki closed his eyes and Thor let out another grunt as he stumbled backwards. Loki opened his eyes and found that his emotions were consuming him, ultimately taking control of his powers as he took in the ice maze all around him. He stood and felt his eyes changing to their normal red color and his skin felt colder, but he didn't shiver like he should have.

In this state, he felt a rush of anger flowing through him, a picture of his father coming to mind as he heard Mjolnir hitting the ice somewhere close to him. Turning his attention to the cry in the ice, he snapped his fingers and felt it reinforce. He knew he shouldn't be angry, but then he felt angry at the memory of his kiss with Thor the other night.

He stalked around the ice maze, fingers clenched in fists as ice grew around them. "Where are you!" He hollered, shoulders tense as he listened. "Show yourself!"

Just as he screamed, Mjolnir flew through the ice and hit him in the shoulder, hearing the crack made him scream as he hit the ground. He was then tackled by Thor, who made them roll on the floor for a moment before his powerful hands pinned his wrists down on the ground, straddling his hips as he gazed into the eyes of the young thunder god. Loki felt his eyes go back to their green blue state and his skin return to a normal temperature as he gazed into Thor's blue eyes.

Thor then leaned down and kissed Loki on the lips. It was controlled yet a little messy before he broke and stood, giving Loki his hand. Loki took it and Thor helped him up as the ice around them vanished back into the ground.

"Good punches." Thor said with a smile on his face, Loki clutched his shoulder just as it healed all the way.

"Good throws." Loki countered, a sheepish smile on his lips as he watched them walk away, he followed behind slowly.

He knew one thing: he was getting tired of Thor's kissing games.


	6. Brave

Loki stood in front of Thor's closed door, holding his folded red cape in his hands. Loki had written a note and placed it in the folds for Thor to read and hopefully respond to. Loki wanted to know if what they had was real or just games from the young Thunder god.

He knocked and waited, anxious. He stared down at the red fabric when he door opened, light streaming from the open door behind Thor. Loki felt trapped as he gazed at the beautiful god before him, unable to form words for a moment until he extended his arms out. Thor's blue eyes fell to the cape before returning to the Jotun.

"Thank you." Loki said softly as Thor removed the cape from his hands.

"You're welcome." Thor said in a deep voice that set Loki's blood ablaze. He swallowed before nodding and walking away down the hall, quickly wishing that Thor would find the note.

That night, around midnight, Loki stood in the healing room, black silk robe closed around his body as he gazed out the wall of windows, into the golden night of Asgard. The light from the villages cast out the city in a slight gold glow, flickering out and on like candles being snuffed out in a sudden gust of wind as he watched, then moved to the stars when he heard the door open behind him. He turned to find Thor walking towards him in his silk red robe.

"Listen, these games have to stop. I didn't mean what I said on the bridge, I wanted to see you that day. It was just hard to-

Thor pulled him in for a kiss on his lips, breaking his sentence as Thor's hands laced around his hips. Loki placed his hands on Thor's shoulders as their lips danced together before Thor released him and spoke.

"I'm sorry if my games angered you. I wanted to go to Jotunhiem to engage in a fight, yes, but that changed when I saw you fighting with us." Thor caressed a hand on Loki's cheek. "I love you, Loki." Thor said. "I need you."

Loki swallowed as he looked at Thor in his eyes. "I love you too." He said softly before Thor met his lips again. Loki let his fingers slink into Thor's golden tresses as their bodies pressed together. They seemed to melt together, fit for each other as they backed up into the wall, their kisses growing urgent as their breathing mingled and their tongues played together.

Loki slowly pulled away from Thor's lips as he stroked his cheek softly. "Thank you." He whispered.

Thor smiled. "I'll walk you back to your chambers." He whispered, taking Loki's hand as they walked to Loki's room.


	7. The Casket

Loki woke the next night with a start, feeling like he was hearing something. Gasping, he felt like the room was deathly cold around him. Shivering, he reached for his robe, tying it around his waist before standing. When he reached his door, touching the handle, the sound in his head escalated to crowd his ears, hurting him as he staggered slightly. Upon opening his eyes, he noticed that clouds of his breathing were expelling, looking around the room he noticed that there was a thin layer of ice coating it. A little nervous, he left the room quickly and headed straight to Thor's chambers.

The sound in his head escalated, but it wasn't even a recognizable voice, it sounded like the movement of wind, the whistle and whispers all at once, but it was beginning to hurt his ears as he knocked on Thor's door.

The young god opened the door and grew shocked by Loki's appearance. He looked deathly pale, his hair was limp and he was shivering violently. When he reached out to place his arms around Loki's shoulders, he nearly flinched at the feeling of how cold he was.

"Please help me, Thor." Loki said, eyes filled with fear. "Something calls to me, it hurts me."

Thor nodded, closing his door behind him as he stood in his robe, holding Loki close to him, trying to warm him. It only made him colder, but he had a suspicion of what this could be. Looking behind them, he saw where Loki was walking, near perfect footprints of ice left behind.

"I may know what causes you discomfort." Thor said, walking Loki to the weapon's vault. Thor tried desperately to warm his love, but his body heat seemed to do nothing, and it pained him to see Loki in such distress and fear.

Loki gazed at the door of the vault, when the guards opened it, he gasped, staring at the end of the hall, the blue box full of glowing blue currents. The sounds in his head swept him away, making all communications futile from Thor as all sound was drowned out.

"No." Loki said, inching away from the Casket. "Keep it away…" Loki cringed at the pain it sent down it's spine with another overwhelming wave of sound, making his knees give out from beneath him.

"Loki!" Thor exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Loki, who now had his hands covering his ears.

"Close the doors now!" He hollered, and with a swirl of ice and wind springing up from his body, it closed the doors from the guard's hold, smashing them with a muffled boom as the ice grew over the cracks, thick and blue as it crackled with incredible speed.

"Loki, what is it? Can I aid you in any way?" Thor asked, concern flooding his voice as Loki looked up at his god. He felt sad for worrying him and took one of his hands.

"That Casket, it has fallen into the hands of Asgardians." Loki said. "That Casket of Ancient Winters has been misused by nearly every spell-caster in the Frost Giant's history." Loki said, feeling his strength seep away as the sound finally left his ears. "Laufey told me I would inherit the Casket as I would assume the throne, and he would mock me every time I came into contact with it. Seeing me in such pain seemed to prove my weakness in the royal bloodline, and soon after led to my exile." Thor gently stroked Loki's knuckles, feeling the warmth coming slowly back to his skin. "I have since come to fear the Casket with all my being. Can you please help me stay away from its frozen hands?"

Thor nodded softly as he took Loki into a tight embrace when Loki suddenly went limp in his grasp. Pulling back, he saw Loki was breathing easily and he must have fallen asleep. Scooping Loki into his arms, he walked him back to his own chambers.

When a guard following them opened and closed his door, Thor set Loki on the bed, gently removing his robe and covering him in his thick blankets. Disrobing himself, he made a mighty fire that instantly warmed the room, got in bed and curled up next to the young frost giant, holding him close in his arms.


	8. Vulnerable

Loki woke up slowly, eyes fluttering open to take in his surroundings. Running a hand through his hair, his eyes grew wide when he noticed a hand over his side, Thor's hand. Relaxing a little, he lay back down on his back, looking at Thor, who was beginning to stir. When his blue eyes opened, he smiled at Loki, who smiled back.

"Morning." Thor said.

"Morning." Loki replied, ruffling Thor's hair softly. Thor leaned forward and kissed Loki's nose, his hand caressing Loki's bare stomach. Loki brought a hand up to rub Thor's whiskers. "Thank you. Did I worry you last night?"

"It was something you should've done, Loki. Don't worry." Thor replied before moving away from him and standing. Loki felt a blush form on his cheeks as Thor's naked body stood before him, and he soon realized he too was nude. He averted his eyes before asking.

"Thor, we, um." He said, sitting up, but taking great care to keep his hips covered. "We didn't do anything last night, did we?" His face heated up as he didn't meet Thor's eyes.

Thor knelt in front of him, thankfully covered in his robe as he took Loki's chin in his fingers.

"I would never take advantage of your body, Loki." He said, his eyes holding the frost giant's gaze. Loki nodded shyly as Thor handed him his robe before standing and turning away, Loki shrugged it on before standing to tie it closed.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Thor asked, walking to the door. Loki looked at the clock.

"But it's nearly 3 A.M.?" He said and Thor only chuckled.

"More for us than." He said, extending his hand. "Come."

Loki took Thor's strong hand in his and they walked to the dining hall where an attendant brought them food in the early morning hours of Asgard. The castle was still full of sleeping royals as they ate, sharing laughter, history and love of each other.


	9. Rescuer

Thor and Loki were walking through some of the gardens in Asgard, holding hands as they talked about nothing in particular, the pure joy of being in each other's company was bliss enough. They started to speak about the Warriors 3 when the talk turned to Lady Sif.

"I've seen the way she looks at me." Loki said, eyes downcast as Thor watched him for a moment as they walked along the ivy thick concrete.

"She looks at you in the way of challenging an opponent in battle." Thor said.

"But how do you know it isn't through envy?" Loki questioned as Thor stopped them from walking, now concerned about his beloved. "I've seen how she looks at you, Thor." Their eyes became locked. "She lingers, she follows, she listens. It's the way a lover would look."

"Listen to me Loki. Nothing is happening between Sif and I. She is a strong warrior, has a proud heart. I have not returned any affections she has for me, if there lies any." Thor said, his hands now on Loki's shoulders. "Besides, I think others would fear to love her, she puts on such a strong front." Thor smiled, giving way to a smirk from Loki before Thor released him. Loki's eyes again fell to the ground as he walked away from Thor, who watched him closely.

"What is wrong?" Thor asked, his scruffy voice piercing the silence.

Loki watched the flowers below his feet become encased in thick ice, frozen forever in time. He knelt down and placed his forefinger and middle finger around the bottom of the petals, inspecting the rich, orange color under the solid shimmer of the cool ice on his skin.

Loki swallowed, watching the grass freeze beneath him, along the some flowers freezing in planters farther away from him, crawling up the trees and freezing the ivy in a delicate portrait of the capability of cold.

"I miss the cold of Jotunheim. The ice under my bare feet, in my true skin. It's almost like it calls to me, in the dead of night." Loki said softly, touching each flower after it turned into a cold statue of its former self, the beauty closed within. "I missed the first moon of mid-winters."

"When was it?" Thor asked, kneeling down beside Loki.

"Last night." Loki said, sliding down to sit on his knees in the ring of ice, his hands in his lap as his breath billowed out in soft clouds. "It's always a festival with simple music, merry celebrations."

"What kind of music?" Thor asked, twining a strand of black hair through his fingers as he listened.

"We would compare it to a music box here. Such simple tones sing off the perfect icicles. I could hear them in my dreams, I was there." Loki smiled to himself, looking down at his hands folded in his lap, not once meeting Thor's eyes. "I was mingled with my brothers, some young children of the village, running around my legs in circles. My ice wolf ran to me, welcoming me home. But then I woke up."

Thor leaned in and kissed Loki's lips suddenly, not able to take his sad, lonely thoughts of his dreams. He wrapped his arms around his cold love, feeling him warm up again as Loki placed his hands on Thor's shoulders. They kissed for a few tender moments, their bodies pressing together with every lock of their lips. Thor held Loki's head in his hands, careful to keep him close. When they did separate, their lips broke so slowly, still brushing together when Loki spoke.

"Then you always come to my rescue." He whispered, smiling softly before Thor kissed him again, but broke it then and stood, offering Loki his hand.

"Come. I want to show you something." He said. Slowly, Loki took his lover's hand and they walked away from the now frozen garden they were sitting in.


	10. Isle of Silence

Thor walked Loki just enough so they could glimpse the Rainbow Bridge before it vanished from sight as they walked into a more desolate place of Asgard. Loki would have never known it could exist in The Realm Eternal. They walked deep into a forested edge of the realm, where the fog began to creep around them, Loki held tight to Thor as he resumed his course. When they reached a high bank off the water, it looked like thick, salt water as it sloshed gently against the Earth they stood upon, the fog now swirling around them in a thick, white sheet.

Loki shivered softly before his skin grew cold, adapting to it. "Where have you brought me?" He asked, looking to Thor.

"This is the Sea of Mist." Thor said as Loki looked out at the water swirling ahead, crashing with muted sound as it hit the rocks hard to their right, splashing some mist on them, but the water wasn't frigid like Loki would have expected, it was warmer, lukewarm. He rubbed his arm gently, rubbing the water into his icy cold skin as Thor took his hand and brought his knuckles to his whiskers, kissing him sweetly.

"Why have you brought me here?" Loki asked.

Thor kept the cold hand close to his mouth, breathing his warm breath on it. "Out there, if you can see it, is the Isle of Silence."

Loki took this moment to try and squint his eyes out into the fog, but all he could see was a crude outline of a tree. "I can't really make it out." Loki said.

"Do you notice anything?" Thor asked, and Loki thought it did sound a little quiet since Thor was standing right next to him. Loki looked to Thor before watching the waves crashing around them, expectantly quieter than they should be.

"Everything's, muted." Loki said, slightly in disbelief as Thor nodded, meeting his eyes.

"The Isle of Silence has no sound. If you were stranded out there, I wouldn't be able to find you. Nobody can hear anything, no screams, no shouts, not even your own breath coming in and out of your lungs. It has been said that all Asgardians that go there fall to certain death, either from insanity or from the Rock Trolls that keep the Isle under their protection." Thor said as Loki nodded, feeling the cold seeping to his very bones.

"Very, unsettling." Loki said, and Thor nodded, pulling him along, away from the Isle and back towards the castle.

"We can warm up by a fire in my chambers." Thor said as they walked along quietly.

After about an hour, they both lay on the floor in Thor's room before a roaring fire, both under a silk sheet in their robes. They had eaten a hearty dinner with Frigga and Odin, then had baths before returning to their room that nobody knew they shared, except Frigga of course.

Loki lay on his back on the floor as Thor propped himself on his elbow beside him, smiling over him as he traced his cheekbone with his fingers, eventually twining them in his hair. Loki smiled into his hand, closing his eyes and leaning into his warm palm as his body had begun to warm to regular Asgardian temperature.

"Loki?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever loved someone?" Thor asked, feeling a little embarrassed asking it, but he was genuinely curious.

Loki smiled. "You are my first."

Thor looked at him with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Truly." Loki asked. "You, Thor, are all I could ever wish for." Loki slunk his hand up Thor's whiskers before sliding it into his hair, holding the nape of his neck gently. Thor leaned down and kissed Loki's lips before gently and unnoticed, untied Loki's robe from around his hips but did no more. When the kiss was released, Loki smiled before turning to lie on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Laufey never approved of loving another as fitting to take the throne. But mother, well, she thought all the power in the world couldn't replace the love of a partner." Loki said as he felt Thor moving the silk fabric down his back, off his shoulders, but he didn't mind. He moved his arms from under him so Thor could remove the robe from his arms before returning them under his torso. "Mother always told me to find the one I love and share the throne." Loki paused as Thor's lips touched his neck softly. "Then again, mother's word was always the one I listened to."

Thor's lips were traveling across his shoulders now as Thor was moving down his body, moving the robe along with it, stopping at the small of his back. Loki wet his lips with his tongue and closed his eyes. Thor straddled his thighs as his palms ran up and down his shoulder blades, making Loki shiver.

Thor's hands then slid down his back and to his hips, his thumbs on his back while his fingers hooked around to his front. When his lips hit the small of his back, his hands slid down the sides of his legs, disappearing under his robe and the silk sheets over his body as Loki let out a breathy sigh.

Thor suddenly removed his hands, hoisting himself above Loki when his tongue slid all the way up his spine, dead center as Loki ducked his head, eyes rolling back into his head as his breathing became erratic. He bit his lip as Thor stopped just short of his hair. Loki let out a breath as Thor kissed the back of his neck softly.

Then Thor slid a hand up the right side of Loki's neck, bringing his chin in his hand and lifting Loki's head up, making him moan softly as his eyes shut again. Thor's fingers gently ran up and grazed Loki's lips, which Loki opened and gently flicked his tongue against those delicate fingers, which began tracing his bottom lip.

As he leaned into the hand holding his head, Thor's lips were suddenly at Loki's left ear, kissing his lobe and taking it into his teeth before teasing it with his tongue. Loki's eyes shot open as he let out a groan when the room was bathed in a green light.

Looking to the fire, it burned a bright green color with small sparks of purple at the base.

"What does that mean?" Thor asked.

"That is the color of fires we burn in Jotunheim. On days of great passion, or on wedding nights or honeymoons, we burn a green fire for the ones we love, signifying how our love burns bright and will burn for years to come." Loki said as Thor was now gently rubbing his throat. He closed his eyes and leaned into the hand.

Thor only chuckled. "You like that?"

"Yes." Loki said breathily.

"I thought you would."


	11. Losing Control

Fandral thrust his sword at Loki, who slid to the side, easily avoiding it. He slid up to Fandral, casting his hand palm down to the floor, then moving it upwards, shooting Fandral hard away from him and onto his back from the force of blunt ice spikes.

Loki turned suddenly at the feeling of someone watching him. Gazing at the far corner of the room, there seemed to be a swirling wind of snow, unmoving and not falling to the ground. Loki watched it for a few moments, letting his guard down when he was hit hard in the back with the hilt of Fandrals golden sword, sending him screaming down to his knees.

Turning suddenly on Fandral, the frost giant felt his body falling to colder depths as Fandral again brought the end of his sword down to his chest, but Loki stopped it with one hand, encasing it in thick ice as he felt his rage consuming his control.

Unable to stop himself, his vision tinted red, and Fandral gasped in fear as the eyes before him turned red. Yanking his sword out of the frozen hand, Loki slowly stood so he was easily towering over the warrior. Fandral took the blade and thrust it up towards the giants neck, but Loki caught it with one hand, freezing it to his body. The frightened warrior yanked but to no avail when the blade snapped in two like a toothpick in the icy room.

"Thor…" Sif said, concerned for Fandral's safety on the sidelines as Thor looked up and ran to Loki. He placed his hands around his love and shook him softly.

"Loki! Loki, wake up!" Thor hollered into his ear. Loki didn't wake at first, and Thor watched in horror as Fandral became encased in ice, holding him to the spot as he screamed from the icy pain in his legs. The broken blade in Loki's hand became a large ice spike as he poised it towards the warrior.

"Loki, stop this!" Thor hollered, attempting to knock the giant over, but it didn't work. Instead, he kissed the giant on his alarmingly cold cheek. "Loki, please, enough!" He said once his lips parted, and Loki's red eyes turned to him. His breathing hard, his eyes slowly morphed back to their green as the ice around them melted slowly. Loki looked panicked as he gazed at Thor, beginning to shake in his grasp.

"That's it, Loki. I'm here." Thor reassured as Loki looked down at his captive. Gasping, he pushed his palms to the ground and the ice instantly melted, releasing a frightened Fandral into the hands of Sif, with a blanket in her arms. Loki then looked to the spike in his hand, dropping it faster than a hot potato as it fell to the ground.

"Forgive me…" Loki breathed as he fled the room, the ice melting all around them.

"Loki!" Thor hollered, running after him.

"Thor." A calm call from Frigga stopped him in his tracks, the shake of her head told him that he should leave Loki until tonight. What happened would be something he needed to process before speaking about it with others. Sighing, he walked back to the Warriors three.

At that same moment, Heimdall was walking briskly to the throne room, seeking urgent council with Odin. The guards opened the doors and he knelt before Odin, who looked upon him with sudden understanding.

"What is it you see?" Odin asked, standing from his throne as Heimdall stood.

"There is a dark presence afoot in the castle." Heimdall's deep voice echoed through the walls.

"Where was it last seen?" Odin asked.

"It was last felt in the training room, sir." Heimdall said, holding his sword in his arms.

"I see." Odin said. "Try and keep an eye on our visitor, if you can." Odin said. Heimdall nodded and walked out of the room, heading back to his post.


	12. Haunted

Thor slowly pushed his door open, peering around it to see Loki lying on his side on his bed. He wore leather pants but no shirt, his pale back facing him as he closed the door behind him. The fire burned bright in the hearth as he walked to the bed, crawling close to Loki.

He stroked Loki's warm side with his hand when he spoke. "Are you angry?" Loki asked softly.

"No." Thor replied. "It was an accident, Loki."

"Losing control isn't an accident." Loki replied, sitting up as Thor gently started to try and massage Loki's tense shoulders. "It's dangerous."

"Loki, nobody got hurt. I was there, there's always someone there when people are training. No harm done." Thor tried to sooth but Loki stood quickly and whirled on Thor, who sat on the bed.

"No harm done? I can guarantee that one time, someone won't be there to save someone from the wrath of my lack of control, Thor!" Loki hollered. "I lost it when I saw that damn snow in the corner!" Loki brought his hands to his ears, closing his eyes tight. "All I saw while I was out was my filthy father's face…" His screams mellowed out to breaths of hate as he shook his head. "My father is responsible for numerous innocent deaths of your Asgard, Thor. Coming here gives me a new purpose in life to try and blend in," His eyes opened as he watched Thor. "But all that changes when everywhere I look I see the ghosts of the countless people my monster of a father has killed!"

Loki brought in big breaths as Thor tentatively stood, Loki's eyes flaring green with rage. "You don't understand how much I feel like my father when I lose control, Thor. Everything falls apart around me and I…I don't want to become him! Do you understand?!" Loki hollered, now shaking with anger. "He's a selfish devil and I can't take this anymore!"

Thor walked up to him slowly, holding his shaking shoulders under his steady hands as Loki continued. "But he did love me, in my youth. Those years I was a prodigy of my people, but then my brothers caught his attention. Casting me out in the snow after mother died, I grew to hate him. But when he exiled me so quickly, I remembered those good years and I," He sighed, staring at the ground. "Then I woke, in a new world, a new man."

When Loki grew silent, Thor took his chin in his fingers and lifted his eyes to his. "Loki, whoever you are destined to become, I see no evil in you." Thor said as Loki swallowed. "Let the past remain there, live for the future. Live for what we can give each other."

Loki sighed, nodding as Thor leaned in and kissed his lips. Just as they did so, the golden door opened, along with a swirling wind of snow. When the kiss released, Loki barely caught the wisp of it when Thor spoke.

"Odd. I thought I closed that door." He said, releasing Loki and walking to it, closing it with a faint boom.

Loki tried to shake off the feeling of someone being there who shouldn't be as Thor returned to him, kissing him again and again as the fire turned to the green light flooding the room and their bodies mingling together.


	13. Bor

That night, Loki was having trouble sleeping. Thor often woke as he would be twitching, crying out and sweating horribly just before he would wake in screams. Heimdall often returned his attention to the young lovers' fitful night of rest when Loki woke suddenly and saw it again. This time the swirling snow was nestled in the corner of their room, barely lit by the green fire in the hearth before the snow swirled out the open window, into the black night when Thor woke and wrapped his arms around Loki.

"Thor, I fear there may be something I need to tell you." Loki said softly as Thor pulled him back down to the warm mattress, propping himself on his elbow beside him so he was gazing down at Loki.

"What do you fear to share?" Thor asked.

"You know the presence I've been seeing?" Loki asked and Thor nodded. "It happened a long time ago, years ago were I was just a boy among warriors."

Thor watched him intently, open to whatever needed to be spoken. Loki glanced at the window before returning his eyes to Thor and speaking.

"It was another war among Frost Giants and Asgardians, but a different King ruled here. One before your father." Loki swallowed. "Well, the Asgardians were winning this one, turning the tide as they caught my father's army at a disadvantage. But Laufey set a trap for him, an incredibly powerful sorcerer was the trap, who was my father's friend of many years. Odin was present in this battle, and his father was heading straight for this trap." Loki said and Thor stroked his cheek softly, seeing it was hard for Loki to say this, but he continued.

"When the King placed his foot well within the boundaries of the trap, I turned him into snow, just as his son could see him being taken by the clutches of the wind. Odin thought it was the sorcerer who did this, but he fled with the army back to Asgard, which ended this war." Loki said, looking at Thor with moist eyes. "Father punished me for days, this being the occasion he favored my brothers over a traitor who taints the royal bloodline."

Thor nodded, leaning down and kissing Loki's forehead. "It's ok, Loki."

"No, it's not." Loki breathed, the tears slowly beginning to slide from his eyes. "You have to understand, I only did what I did to save Bor from the torture of Laufey. He would have tortured Bor for months on end before the thought of killing him crossed his mind." Loki was crying now, and Thor was wiping the tears away, even if it was futile.

"It cost he King his life, a brave death and Odin saw his father murdered." Loki cried as Thor leaned down and held him. "But now he's here, Thor. I can feel his hatred every time I lay eyes on the swirling snow. I fear what he does to you, to Odin, to Frigga." Loki swallowed. "I'm so sorry, Thor…" He cried into Thor's bare shoulder, holding him tight in the night.

As Heimdall watched them holding each other, he walked to the chambers of Odin and Frigga, waiting as the guards roused the king and queen. When they presented themselves in robes to Heimdall, he spoke.

"I know what this presence is." He said.


	14. Jotunhiem's Last

Early in the hours of the following morning, Loki and Thor were dressing in their armor when a knock came to their door. As Loki finished fastening his golden gauntlets, he walked to the door, opening it to expose Frigga, who only shook her head and hugged Loki quickly, holding him tightly. Odin presented himself behind her, who placed his hand on Loki's shoulder.

"Please forgive me, My Lord. I only meant-

"I know what you did, Loki." Odin said as Frigga released him and Thor stepped behind him. "And I thank you immensely. But, as Thor has spoken to you before, the past remains there." Loki nodded as Odin took Loki into a small hug when Heimdall arrived behind them all.

"The Bifrost has been open for far too long. I cannot stop it, My Lord." Heimdall said, and Thor immediately panicked and the group rushed through the castle, out to the bridge when they opened the gigantic golden gates to reveal a horrible sight.

"No…" Loki whispered at first, staring at the hell before him. He knew who was responsible. "Bor, no!" He screamed, beginning to run towards the Bifrost, but Frigga wrapped her arms around him, holding him back as he struggled against her, fighting the tears threatening his eyes.

The gasp was audible in the Asgardians collecting around them. The Bifrost was building up to a savage pace, destroying Jotunheim. Loki was witness to the murder of his own people, the death of his father, his brothers. He was in shock at first until he felt himself losing control.

"NO! STOP IT!" He screamed, temporarily shocking Frigga's arms with a flash of cold when he ran out of her reach, crying when Fandral grabbed his arms. "LET ME GO! PLEASE!" He wailed. The Bifrost began to shudder as the power was overwhelming, the bright lights escalating as the entrance was shadowed with white energy, shaking the very bridge itself.

As Fandral held Loki back, he felt his fingers begin to freeze on the skin, getting aid from the other warriors as he struggled to hold on, but he did. Thor ran past them, out to the edge of the bridge until he began to get sucked in by the breeze. All Loki's screams were drowned out by the wind swirling around him as he heaved up Mjolnir in the air before crashing it down on the bridge, revealing heavy cracks as he did so again.

Odin watched as his son tried to stop it, but the Bifrost blew a gasket on its side, pushing out extra energy towards the planet in destruction. He watched helplessly as Loki struggled against the warriors, crying and screaming. Frigga couldn't take it, and he held her as they all watched.

"BOR, NO! STOP IT, PLEASE!" Loki screamed, sobbing as he cried before yanking out of the grasp of his protectors, launching himself at the Bifrost before he was tackled again by Sif and Hogen. He was brought to his knees. "I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

Odin watched as the bridge began to turn into ice, the colors of the rainbow muted by the thickness as their feet became frozen to it. Purely caused by Loki's torment, he was out of control as he froze his knees to the surface, letting himself go in his misery as Thor let out one final hit, but one hit too late. One explosion from the other side of the Bifrost caused Jotunhiem to disappear into a black hole, sucked in as Loki temporarily stopped screaming.

Loki looked down at his arms and hands, watching his skin return to its blue state, baring his royal markings as his vision turned red again. He watched in his skin as the Bifrost fell from its bridge, into the endless black depths of space around them, then back to the stars reassembling around the now closed black hole, only blue tinted space now.

Just as suddenly as he changed, his skin returned to the pale color, his green eyes again returned as he cried, hands falling to the ice beneath him as Thor returned to his side, kneeling beside him as the warriors backed away.

Loki sobbed now, tears wet his cheeks that soon turned to ice scaling his face. "I'm sorry…" He sobbed, Thor placed a hand on his shoulder, but immediately pulled it back at the frigid temperature. "Leave me." Loki hissed. In his understanding, Thor stood and walked back into the palace with his family and friends, leaving Loki to weep in the silence.

Loki then let everything go. He tried to catch his breath, but failed as his eyes roamed to the edge of the bridge, watching the pale blue ice crawl up the pulsating colors, overtaking it in an eerie glow of now cold, death. When the entire bridge was covered in a thick layer of ice, he sat up, staring into the stars.

"Father, I'm sorry…so sorry…" He sighed, closing his eyes as he balled his hands into fists. Not thinking, he slammed them hard against the bridge, cracking his ice sculpture multiple times as his superior strength came out for the first time in centuries. He let out a gut wrenching scream, throwing his head back and extending his arms out on either side of his body. Closing his eyes, he was unaware of the ice cascading up the golden gate behind him, covering the closed doors with inches of thick, strong ice, the strongest he'd ever built since his mother died.


	15. Screams

Loki screamed as he threw a long ice spike across the room, tearing through the air as it lodged itself in the center of the target. The training room was silent in the middle of the night as he practiced, feeling nothing but rage in his aching body as he screamed, throwing ice this way and that when he stopped, staring at the spike he had just thrown before sitting on the ground, breathing hard. His breath came in small bursts of mist as his session had made the room colder by the second, ice surrounding him as his skin turned cold as well, like it normally did.

"You can't kill a target with pure screams."

The voice startled Loki as he turned to face the doorway. Sif smiled at him, pushing off the doorway she was leaning on with a goblet of water in one hand and something gold in the other. As she neared him, he slowed his breathing so the temperature began to rise around them. She wore her armor, as did he, but she knelt before him.

"Here." She said, extending the water to him. He took it and sipped slowly before taking what appeared to be a golden apple from her hand. He eyed it quizzically before looking at her again, she chuckled before speaking. "An apple, these grant us long life." She said and Loki slowly took a bite of the golden fruit.

When he swallowed, he took another sip of water. "Thank you, Sif." He said, smiling as she returned it before he took another tentative bite.

She sat beside him. "Why do you fight this way?" She asked.

Loki finished the apple as she spoke this question, but he contemplated his answer for a long few minutes, silent as he did so. "Sometimes anger is a good combatant of grief." He said gently then, eyes on his hands before he looked at Sif, who waited patiently. "And so it seems, I have no more tears to shed." He said, chuckling to himself, even if it was fake.

She placed her hand on his shoulder, bringing their eyes together. "Loki, I know you feel sorrow over your immense loss, it's only in your nature. But I know that you are strong enough to overcome this." She said, smiling at him softly.

"But when?" He asked as she stood, looking down at his apple rind and water.

"That moment will come when the time is right." She said, walking slowly away from him. Just when she reached the door, Loki spoke.

"My Lady." He said, looking to her as she turned, standing sidelong to him. "You are an incredible warrior, kind and good. But you are also a remarkable woman." He said. "Don't let any portion of power change that."

She only smiled, bowing to him slightly before she left him in peace. He finished drinking his water before again fighting for a few more rounds, this time focusing on his strength instead of letting his screams echo through the sleeping palace.


	16. Pleading

Loki stood in Thor's room, wearing his leather cuirass, staring at their green fire. Thor stood beside the bed, in his red robe, watching Loki with worry in his eyes. He hadn't slept with him in the last few days, so much so that he worried for his health. They hadn't spoken much either, which made Thor feel even more powerless. As Loki began to walk towards the door, Thor almost ran after him. He wrapped his arms around his leather clad love, holding him flush to his body.

"Loki." He whispered into his ear. "Come to bed. Please."

Loki kept his green eyes on the floor before sighing, maneuvering out of his grasp and walking again to the fire, staring into its blazing hearth, silent as ever. Thor watched him from where he stood before, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry." It was all Thor could say.

"Don't apologize, Thor." Loki said. "You did all you could."

Thor walked towards him slowly. "What can I do for you now?" He asked, almost pleading for Loki to say anything.

Loki shook his head. "You can't do anything." He said, his voice cracking in the middle of the sentence.

"What are you thinking?" Thor asked.

Loki sighed, running a hand through his hair, beginning to unstrap his leather buckles and such to remove his armor. "I feel more anger than anything. But, I don't want to be angry." He removed his chest plate after setting his gauntlets on the table. "I have no more tears, my heart aches for my now extinct race. I am forever a relic of my people and I was such a failure." He now stood in his leather pants, hands on the back of his neck as he looked down to the floor, at his feet. "Father would've hit me by now." He felt tears of something falling from the corners of his eyes, wiping them away quickly, furious with himself. "Nothing fits anymore, I can't remember where I once lived. It's like it's been removed from my mind entirely." He turned his palm facing up, watching a small swirl of ice and snow flicker in it. "All that reminds me of home is the freezing clutches of ice, ice that's taken the lives of so many people."

Shaking his head and dissolving the snow, he removed is pants and wrapped himself in his black robe, tying it tight around his hips as he looked at Thor watching him.

"Let me help you, please." Thor said.

"Only if you can remove the anger from my blood. Take my broken spirit away from me." Loki said, and Thor walked up to him, wrapping his arms around Loki.

"Loki, I can't bear to see you upset. I know it hurts, but please, please let me help you." Thor said, kissing his love's lips softly. They shared in a tender kiss before his lips trailed down his trembling neck. Just as quickly as he kissed him, his lips were gone as he knelt on one knee before Loki, pulling out a small box from his robe and opening it.

Loki stared at the ring. It was a pure band of malachite, thick and gleaming in the firelight. In the center of the band was a light blue square, laid in silver stones, flat with the band itself, nothing stuck out. It was all smooth, bright and beautiful.

"Loki Laufeyson," Thor said, and Loki's eyes fled to his blue ones. "Will you marry me?"

Thor took the ring from the box and placed it on Loki's ring finger. Instead of speaking, Loki leaned down and kissed Thor's lips deeply, threading his hands in his golden tresses as Thor's hands slid down his chest, dropping the box as the fire glowed brighter and hotter green tones.


	17. Just A Little Colder

Loki sat in his bath, watching for any movement. He was alone, perfect. He lay back in the water, closing his eyes as he thought of something. Sitting up a little, he brought his right palm above water, facing up. Keeping his eyes big, focused, he made a small circle of ice floating just above his skin, which then began to lower the temperature of the water he was in. A thin layer of ice formed on the surface when he felt it growing thicker. His temperature fell and he began to shiver, breathing a little worse as the ice encased his stomach, sticking with an icy fire.

_Just a little colder, right? _

Gasping, the ice orb disintegrated from his hand, the ice thawing instantly as he looked up and saw her. She was sitting in the water opposite him, legs dangling over the side. Her blue skin and royal markings were hard to miss as her eyes had a little glow of orange to them, just as he remembered. Her long black hair hung down to her waist as she smiled at him.

_Careful, dear. Even you can get frostbite. _

"Mother…" Loki whispered as she smiled, giggling a little at his shock. He felt himself shaking slightly at the sight of her when she spoke.

_That ring is gorgeous. Is he good to you? _

Breathing hard, he nodded, unable to speak as he stared at her. He felt the familiar quiver in his throat, but he swallowed it away.

_Good. You deserve someone like him. _

"Mother, why-

_Shh._ She placed a finger at her lips, smiling softly. _It's our secret._ She winked at him then before she disappeared into snow, swirling around the edge as he closed his eyes in her invisible caress. Opening them, he saw something on the edge of the pool. Moving to it, he gasped at what he saw.

His mother's music box sat there, waiting for him. It was a small blue box, marked with icicles on the edges from the lid down the sides. It was engraved with her name, written in Jotunheim's ancient text that he could barely read. The blue was the color of fresh, newborn ice as it cracked under his fingers. When the lid opened and the music streamed through the silent spa, Loki smiled and leaned back in the bath, listening intently. It was then that he realized something.

He wasn't angry anymore.


	18. Sing to Me

_ What is that? That music, it's…no… _

_ Loki spun around in the blackness of his mind, fear taking hold of his every nerve as he tried to find where it played from, but he couldn't find it, no matter how many times he turned, listened. Breathing hard, he tried to steady himself, but it wouldn't work. _

_ Sing to me. _

_ Gasping, he stared at his mother, staring at him in her favorite blue dress. Horror took hold of him as he watched her become slowly encased in ice before shattering into a million pieces at his feet. He stepped away, his mouth agape at the sudden sound of her echoing screams. _

_ You'll never rein here. _

_ Spinning around behind him stood his brothers, in their war armor, the family crests on their chest plates, the weapons of their ancestors in their hands. Their mocking laughter filled his ears as they floated away into black, melting into the surroundings as he covered his ears, desperate to flush it out, but he couldn't drown out that sound. _

Thor woke in the middle of the night to Loki shaking and trembling beside him in bed. Worried, he placed his hand on his loves shoulder, jerking back at the cold temperature. His eyes were twitching horribly fast, his eyebrows pinching in worried then angry ways as his lips trembled, his breathing becoming labored with fear.

Feeling helpless, Thor only tried to stay close to Loki, giving him his warmth that seemed to be stripped from him as every second passed before he felt just as cold. The green light in the fireplace turned a deep blue before becoming encased in ice, which then painted its cold fingers up the fireplace, on the mantle and beginning to climb the walls.

_ The whispers of his people flooded his ears, but nobody could be seen. Spinning around in circles, Loki became disoriented, scared and afraid for his life, his well-being when he heard Thor calling for him. _

_ Looking to the direction, it wasn't Thor who cried, but Odin, his childlike form standing there, tears glistening on his cheeks as he watched the swirling of snow come up from nowhere. It engulfed Odin before the figure of the boy disappeared into the blackness, and the snow swirled towards Loki. _

_ Bor, forgive me, please…_

_ Loki pleaded as the snow swirled around him, fast and furious as it whipped his hair around his head, plummeting the temperature around him. As it enclosed around him still, becoming so small like a tornado, Loki's hands came to his neck, feeling as though he was losing air. Beginning to choke and cough, he fell to his knees, struggling to keep his eyes open as the snow stung them, making tears stream down his cheeks._

_ The whispers of his people continued at a deafening rate when he saw Laufey standing there, before his suffocating seat with his brothers and mother at his sides, watching him with black eyes, sick smiles on their faces. _

Thor noticed now that Loki was twitching worse, but the tips of his fingers were beginning to turn to their normal blue color as they twitched with his arms, his temperature still alarmingly cold to his touch.

Hearing the crackling of growing ice, Thor's eyes turned to the fireplace, which was now entirely encased in ice. It now covered the ceiling and played decorative lines on the floor, crawling up the poles on their bed and creating a thin layer of frost on the blankets.

However, when Loki began to cough, he became worried, immediately returning his attention to him.

_ As Loki could no longer catch his breath as his fingers clawed at his own throat, he watched his father with watery eyes. The ice spike formed in his fist as he heaved it up high over his head, poised to strike as he watched his exiled son writhe beneath him, helpless. _

_ He then saw something he wasn't prepared for. The years of war with the Asgardians played through his head, all the death his father dealt shown before his eyes in overwhelming numbers. The corpses on the ground, the blood spilt, tainting the beauty of the ice beneath them paralyzed him as he stopped breathing entirely, focusing on the horror bestowed upon him. _

_ Their screams echoed in his head as he closed his eyes tight, shaking his head but none of the images would cease to flow. He saw some dead and he would see their ghosts, their families. Some of the corpses died with their dead, lifeless eyes still open as he gasped, crying for Odin and how sorry he was for his father. _

_ Loki looked up one final time, shaking and trembling like a dog that had been beaten as he saw the ice spike come down, the pain in his chest unbearable as he felt it shoot right through his spine as he screamed. It was drowned out by a white light and his father's filthy laughter filling his being, shooting through his soul as the white blinded him_.

Thor nearly jumped out of his skin when Loki shot up in bed, screaming and clawing at his chest. His eyes were red and his hands had become their blue form up to the middle of his forearms. He stalled for a brief moment, looking at his arms before they came back to the pale skin and his eyes returned to their green jewel state. Still breathing hard, both he and Thor watched as the ice melted away in an instant, the green light bathing them once again.

Thor immediately wrapped Loki from behind, arms around his heaving middle and chest, Loki leaning into him, Thor's cheek resting on Loki's shoulder. Loki sniffed his tears back, some strands of loose hair falling into his eyes, shaking still, making him look like a terrified child. Loki squirmed in Thor's arms, turning to his betrothed.

"Why did you propose so soon?" Loki asked, voice husky and deep, breaking slightly.

Thor gazed into his eyes. "I want you to have a family, to be proud of who you love." Thor said, taking Loki's head in his hands, caressing his jaw with his thumbs. "I want you to be happy, Loki."

As they caught their breath, Loki's lips trembled. "Make it stop, Thor…" He whispered. "If only for a moment, please…" His voice quivered and broke as Thor kissed him several times before holding him in bed, rocking back and forth as Loki wept.


	19. Bound

Thor stood in the center of the Great Hall in the castle, waiting for Loki. Thor wore his armor, red cape draping over his shoulders and his silver helmet, the wings flowing from the sides of his head as the doors opened at the end, showing Loki the way to Odin, who stood behind Thor. The Warriors 3 stood on Thor's side, their armor on as well as they watched Loki walk on the red carpet to his beloved. Frigga stood on the opposite side of her son, in a delicate golden gown as Odin stood in his gold armor.

Loki wore new golden and silver armor, a green cape flowing behind him. His helmet on top of his head had horns protruding from the top of it, like a ram's horns would grow large through a healthy life. He smiled as he watched the citizens smile back at him, waiting for a new prince to be wed to their very own. Frigga gave him a happy smile as Odin bowed his head softly.

When Loki reached Thor, who took his hand, they stood with their backs to the crowd. Thor gently caressed Loki's hand with his thumb as Odin rose from the throne, slightly slamming his staff on the ground, letting the deep rumble quiet the crowd.

"Thor Odinson, Loki Laufeyson, we are gathered here today to see you joined in the everlasting bond of marriage." Odin said, his eye lingering on Loki a second longer with a smile on his lips as he looked to his son. "Present the rings."

Sif walked forward, a pillow in her hands as she stood in front of Odin, facing Loki and Thor, who turned sidelong to the crowd. Thor took the ring from the pillow, holding Loki's left hand softly in his as Loki tried to contain his gasp as he laid eyes on his wedding band.

It was the green malachite color on the outside with a solid band of blue ice in the middle, wrapping around his finger as Thor met his eyes, smiling when Odin spoke.

"Thor, do you take Loki to be your husband?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to watch over him in sickness and health?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to preserve your love until death?"

"I swear." Thor gave Loki a smile then that melted his heart.

"Thor, repeat after me: Loki, with this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring," He slowly pushed it up on Loki's pale, slightly shaking finger. "I thee wed."

Thor then took the hand up to his lips, kissing his ring finger softly before Odin turned to Loki, who took Thor's wedding ring from Sif, who gave him a happy smile before stepping back to her former spot. Loki paused at the magnificence of Thor's ring as well. It was a golden band with the ring of blue ice in the center as well, flawlessly melded together as he took hold of Thor's left hand and looked into his eyes.

"Loki, do you take Thor to be your husband?"

"I do." Loki said, feeling his eyes begin to moisten as he smiled.

"Do you swear to watch over him in sickness and health?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to preserve your love until death?"

"I swear." Loki felt one tear fall down his cheek as he smiled even greater.

"Loki, repeat after me: Thor, with this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." Loki said, sliding the ring delicately up Thor's warm finger.

Odin smiled between the two men. "I now present our princes." Odin said as the cheering gave way through the corridor. Thor kissed Loki, it was like nothing they had ever experienced.


	20. Fenris

Thor took Loki into a wooded garden behind the castle that night to give him his wedding present. Under the light of the moon and stars, Loki gazed upon his wedding ring, smiling as tears of joy fell down his cheeks when Thor took him in his arms and kissed him deeply.

"Oh, Thor." Loki said when they released. "I can't believe it, we're married."

"I knew you'd be happy." Thor said when Loki looked up at the black sky, searching the stars for the frozen storms of Jotunheim to highlight the darkness. "What is it?" Thor asked, running a hand through Loki's raven hair.

"I just wish mother was here to see this." Loki said, closing his eyes into Thor's touch, who kissed him again before breaking and walking him through the brush. "Now, what did you bring me out here for?" Loki asked.

"For this." Thor said, stopping as Loki heard something, snapping? Immediately noticing something red flashing at him, Loki knelt down to his knees, the cape flooding out behind his legs. He fell silent as he watched the paw fall into the moonlight. Gasping, he smiled as the young, black wolf walked towards him slowly, sniffing softly, his bright red eyes blinking a few times.

"Thor." Loki whispered, watching the animal walk towards him. "He's gorgeous." Thor only smiled as Loki extended his hand out towards the wolf's muzzle.

"It's alright. I'm a friend." Loki said softly as the wolf looked up to Loki, then down at his hand before walking up to it, sniffing it and licking his fingers softly. Thor heard Loki chuckle as the wolf placed his chin in Loki's hand, which then gently began stroking the wolf's soft fur. "That's a good boy." Loki cooed as the wolf nuzzled his head under Loki's chin, his tail wagging.

"What will you name him?" Thor asked softly, kneeling down beside Loki as the wolf cautiously sniffed Thor's outstretched hand.

"I think I'll call him…" Loki thought as the animal pressed it's nose into Thor's warm fingers before quickly turning to Loki again, sniffing his chin as Loki scratched under his jaw. "Fenris." Loki said and the wolf licked his chin, making Loki laugh as he looked to Thor again. "How did you pick a wolf?"

"Well, I heard that ice wolves make wonderful companions, protectors of their person, should they choose one." Thor said, watching Fenris lick Loki's hands as Loki stroked the animal's fur. "So, why not have one here?"

Loki smiled and kissed Thor tenderly. "He's perfect. Thank you." Loki said as they walked back towards the castle, Fenris trailing behind, keeping an eye out for predators that could harm his owner.


	21. Fire and Ice

Thor stood beside the fireplace, Loki sat on the end of the bed, removing his cape from his armor as he began to take off his gauntlets, then removing his helmet as some servants around them helped remove their armor. Once it was gone, Loki sat in his underclothes, a black long sleeved shirt with black pants down his legs, Thor wore a grey undershirt and grey pants as he turned, smiling at his husband. Loki smiled back as Thor walked up to him, the fire turning green almost instantly as he knelt between Loki's legs.

Loki looked down at his love, smiling softly as Thor placed a hand on Loki's jaw, who instantly closed his eyes, leaning into the warm skin. Loki leaned down and kissed Thor's lips deeply, inhaling each other's scents. They broke when Loki felt Thor pulling his black shirt up and over his head. Thor now stood as Loki quickly took the hem into his hands and pulled Thor's shirt above his head, discarding it as they stood together, their lips meeting soon after.

Thor felt the temperature slightly decline in the room but Loki remained his normal temperature for once, but he ignored it as Loki stroked his fingers down his spine, then up again, their tongues slowly dancing together as the fire behind them blazed brighter in the hearth. Thor could feel however, the temperature of Loki's ring begin to decrease as well as his own on his finger.

Thor's lips broke and trailed down Loki's jaw, then down his neck as Loki exhaled, leaning his head back, tracing his fingers up into Thor's golden head of hair. Breathing in through his nose, he exhaled through his mouth as Thor's lips traced his collarbones, falling down the center of his chest. He dragged them along his stomach as he knelt in front of Loki, who still had his hands tangled in his hair.

Thor slowly tugged Loki's pants and underwear from his body, kissing along his waistline before tracing his navel with his tongue. Loki shivered under his love's touch when Thor stood and Loki proceeded to lavish him with his lips.

Loki slid his lips down Thor's neck, his hands running down Thor's chest, his fingernails softly sliding down as well before Loki licked along Thor's collarbones. He ran his tongue down Thor's chest, making Thor close his eyes, leaning his head down so he could watch his husband. Loki slid his hands to Thor's back, kneading the skin on the small of his back as he kissed around Thor's navel before softly blowing into it, making Thor moan softly.

When Loki rid Thor of his remaining clothes, they got in bed, Loki on his stomach and Thor perched atop him, pulling the blankets over their exposed bodies.

Neither of them noticed the forming ice on the ceiling, painting delicate pictures of frozen beauty with the green light dancing off of the intricate contours. It rose and formed above the bed, stopping until their pleasures progressed.

Thor did as he had before, some nights ago. He traced Loki's spine with his fingers, raising goose bumps on his ivory skin as Loki sighed, leaning his head down as he was propped up on his elbows.

Thor took great care in kissing up his spine slowly, keeping his lips in the center of the line as he reached the nape of his neck, licking it before he trailed his tongue back down again, making Loki's head rise as he gasped, eyes rolling back into his head.

Thor then took a small pleasure in teasing Loki by pressing himself against Loki's entrance, making him gasp. He stayed there for a few seconds before stopping, roaming down to Loki's legs. Taking his left foot in his hands, he caressed the lines, curves and each toe in his fingers before kissing his way back up to Loki. The warm lips on the inside of his leg made Loki tremble, closing his eyes and sighing with a small smile on his lips. Thor repeated this with his other leg, starting at his right foot, working his way back up again when he had Loki spread out before him.

"Are you ready, my love?" Thor asked, poising himself at Loki's entrance.

"Yes, dear." Loki breathed when Thor slowly entered him, drawing it out on purpose as he listened to Loki gasping, moaning softly. When Thor was all the way in, he placed his hands on either side of Loki's shoulders, smiling as he saw Loki clutching the sheets when Thor slowly moved out, then pushed in again.

Their combined grunting and moaning was all Thor needed to do it again and again. He moved slow before speeding up, their moans echoing off the walls in perfect synchronization. Flat on the bed, the golden headboard occasionally hit the wall at Thor's strength as Loki spurred him on.

"Harder…" Loki moaned, his head lifting up as his eyes closed in pure pleasure as Thor did as he was told, increasing his speed and making the headboard hit the wall nearly on every thrust. Loki moaned as he slid a hand towards Thor's right one. Thor lifted his up so Loki placed his there, palm up, and their fingers intertwined in a strong grip as they seemed to be nearing their climax.

Thor leaned down and kissed Loki's shoulder a few times when he slowed his pace again. Hearing Loki's gasp was enough knowledge to know his love had finished, quickly followed by himself as they shivered together for a few seconds. Thor removed himself from Loki and lay down beside him on his back, finally noticing the walls surrounding them. Loki snuggled in close as they took in the scene.

The walls were covered in delicate pictures and formations of ice, bright blue shining with flames of the green fire. The temperature lowered significantly but neither of them felt cold as they pulled the blankets around their hot bodies, moving closer. The poles on the bed were traced with ice, beautiful sculptures of pillars that stood in Jotunhiem, Loki remembered. Looking back, the frame of the headboard had the same effect, like arches around the Grand Hall doors, the detail was impeccable.

"What does it mean?" Thor asked softly, looking to Loki, who also lifted his left hand up, showing Thor the malachite ring, now encased in ice. Thor's ring did the same.

"Ice is a form of new life, a time of joy." Loki said, his voice husky. "This ice is the kind of love, new beginnings. The patterns show that of love, care and happiness." Loki noticed that the ice was beginning to vanish from their rings but not the cavern holding them. "This ice will forever be made by our passions and pleasures."

Thor smiled softly before planting a kiss on Loki's lips. He began to feel drowsy. "Then I hope our first night of memories will forever be infused in ice."

Loki smiled. "As do I."

They fell asleep in each other's arms, the memories flitting through their heads of their first love making. The ice remained long until morning, never melting but vanishing, receding into the flames of green which slowly faded back to orange and yellow.


	22. Duty

Loki awoke with a start, gasping for air as a thin sheen of sweat clung to his body. Clutching the blanket up to his chest, he tried to calm his breathing when Thor's hand was on his shoulder, stroking it softly.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked softly. Loki looked down at him, his eyes bright green in the dim dawn light.

"Can we take a walk?" Loki asked in a shaky voice. Thor nodded before they got up and dressed.

About half an hour later, they were walking the gardens, the fog still lingering around their knees as the cool air softly blew through them. Loki wore a green cape with a simple black and green cuirass while Thor wore some simple golden armor and a red cape. Fenris trailed alongside Loki's left side while is right hand was held in Thor's.

"What was your dream?" Thor asked Loki softly, who met his green eyes.

"The casket." Loki said. "Thor, there is a somewhat eerie history between the Jotuns and our power source that I think you should know about."

Thor only nodded before guiding them to a stone bench standing in front of a fountain. Fenris sat in front of Loki's legs, his back facing his master as his red eyes scanned the fog.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters is not only the source of the King's power, but it is a graveyard for the King's past, the Ancient Ones, we call them." Loki said as Thor took his hand in both of his own, stroking his skin softly.

"I heard, last night, the whispers of the Ancients. They told me that I must not deny my royal blood, and since I am the last of the Jotuns, they say it is my duty to step forth as King." Loki said softly when Fenris looked back at him, making Loki smile softy and scratch behind his wolf's ears.

"What must you do?" Thor asked.

"I must take my stance, accept the Casket." Loki said. "I will warn you however, that it will be frightening for you to see."

"Why?" Thor asked.

"The Casket has the power to either accept, reject or corrupt the being who takes it into his hands. I cannot judge what it will do, even by the whispers sayings to me last night."

Thor hesitated for a moment, his eyes growing worried. "Will it hurt?" He asked softly.

"I do not know. I have never been witness to any King who's taken it, only their heirs were allowed in the chamber at the time."

"Does Odin know of this?" Thor asked.

"I have no knowledge if your father knows. But we must do this soon."

"When?"

Loki looked up into the stars. "In the light of a full moon." He said softly when Thor took his chin in his fingers, bringing his green eyes to Thor's blue ones. Without speaking, he took Loki's lips in his, kissing deeply as Fenris watched for any enemies that could harm them.

When they released, Thor smiled at him. "Then tonight will have to do. I will go with you."

Loki smiled back. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He stroked Thor's scruffy cheek as they kissed a few more times, small pecks of love and understanding of what could happen this night.


	23. Pain

Loki walked into the Weapons Vault following Odin, Thor behind Loki and Fenris sitting outside the doors with the guards. Loki wore his cuirass but his cape was absent. He felt himself getting nervous, also getting colder as he neared the Casket of Ancient Winters. He felt the fear creeping up on him.

When Odin stepped alongside the Casket, he turned and faced Loki, who swallowed, opening his clenched fists and walking up to the Casket. His body was shaking as the swirling of dark blue light, like storms of fierce ice on the night of his mother's disappearance flashed before him inside the symbols.

Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes, looked straight ahead and placed his hands on the grips on either side of it.

Upon the first moments, nothing happened. Keeping his eyes closed, he felt the temperature lower around him. He felt his royal markings rising on his skin, but he was unsure of whether his blue color returned to him when he started shaking.

As his breathing became uneven, he squeezed his eyes tighter when the voices started flowing through his ears. He first heard some voices he didn't recognize, then he heard screaming of agony echoing through his ears as he shook harder.

He heard his heartbeat quicken as the voice of his mother was in his head. He heard her singing her lullabies to him and her laughter before something terrifying took hold.

_Help. Cold_. She said as the image of her encased in ice flitted over his eyes.

His hands were now shaking, unable to keep a strong grip on the Casket as his arms felt weak, his knees shaking and his back hunching. He gasped at some pain in his stomach, burning and stinging as it crawled up to his lungs, then his heart became deathly cold.

_It's so cold… _

Thor stared at Loki upon hearing his gasping, and he noticed his violently shaking hands and arms. He then heard something sounding like wheezing as Loki began to double in on himself, his knees bending and his head falling down, as if he were staring at his feet. Thor looked around him and saw his eyes were still closed.

The last thing he noticed was Loki's blue hands.

"Cold…" Loki breathed before his gasping took over. He then fell to his knees, releasing his hold on the Casket as he coughed violently; taking in raspy breaths like one would take when their throat was raw.

Thor became nervous when he knelt behind Loki, but he was nearly frozen to the touch, the temperature alarming. It was hard for him to watch already when Loki started screaming.

"Give her back to me!" Following this was a sharp intake of breath, sounding like a squeak or a door until he coughed, giving way to more screams. "Stop the pain! It burns…like fire!"

Coughing followed, along with small intakes of breath giving off alarming sounds of agony as Loki leaned back into Thor. His black haired head rested on his shoulder as his eyes finally shot open, much to Thor's horror at what he saw.

His love was still shaking violently, uncontrollable spasms shook his entire body as the marbles of blue ice were where is beautiful green eyes should be. He was now gasping for air, coughing it back out in gusts of white mist as his eyes closed again.

"Why…me…" Loki choked out when Thor noticed the sliding colors up his neck. His veins had now changed to their normal blue color, snaking up his neck slowly as his head ducked down again, his breathing completely labored as he screamed in pain again.

"Help…" Loki gasped when he flopped into Thor's arms.

Thor was visibly shaken when he simply picked up Loki and ran him out of the room, towards their bedchamber. Once the guards had the doors open, Thor rushed in and placed Loki on the bed. Thor then began ridding him of his clothes, hoping the suffocating embrace of the chilled leather would help the heat get to his body.

Loki remained limp on the sheets as he gasped still, but Thor noticed that his eyes were open again and he noticed the red sheen glowing bright behind the solid wall of ice around them. His coughs had subsided, but now gave way to small, shallow and frequent breaths of air, his twitching had gone away and Thor removed his own clothes before lying in bed beside Loki, covering their bodies in the sheets.

Thor silently wept in bed that night, hoping that Loki would be alright. He then felt the bed shift behind him. Turning, he saw a whining Fenris laying in a ball on the bed.


	24. Hela

Sif knocked on the door of Thor the next morning. Thor was reluctant to leave his husband, who was still under the effects of the Casket, but he did, wrapping himself in his robe before opening it golden doors. Sif was stunned to see Thor's eyes red and puffy, rimmed around the outside with tearstains on his cheeks.

"What is it you seek?" Thor asked.

Sif only held out a small gem in her hands. It glowed gold with small flame like patterns protruding from its center as they gazed at it collectively for a few seconds.

_Loki walked in the frozen wastes of Jotunhiem, but something was different. No snow swirled around his legs as he walked. He could feel the presence of someone strong and powerful, but he felt the dwellings of many souls here, too many to count. Perhaps worlds of souls at a time caressed his mind, but he didn't feel cold. He couldn't feel heat either. _

_ He was stopped by a feeling of power, strong essence in the room cavern around him. He shivered, hugging himself when he heard her laughter. _

_ "At least, I get to see Thor's husband…" _

_ Loki turned to the woman who voiced this. She was pale but wore a green slip that barely concealed her elegant body. She wore a green headdress that had something looking like either wings or horns coming from the top of her head as she smiled at Loki. _

_ "You brought me here?" Loki asked, his voice soft. _

_ "I have the power to lead dying souls to their resting place." She said. _

_ "Hela?" Loki asked. _

_ "Welcome to Hel." She said. "I hope your journey went well." She said, crossing her arms as her green cape furrowed out behind her. _

_ Loki began to panic. "I can't be…" He said, gasping as he looked around, running a hand through his hair. "The Casket?" _

_ "The Casket was the beginning of this, yes." She said flatly. "It was too strong for you, as it has proven for some Kings before you." _

_ "Please, I can't leave Thor." Loki said, feeling desperate. "You can't take me away from him." _

_ "Perhaps I should deposit you in Valhalla." She said, walking towards Loki. _

_ "No, you can't let me die. I can't leave Thor alone." Loki said, feeling himself growing angry at Hela. _

_ She smirked at Loki. "You do seem strong enough. Dedication shines through you." She eyed Loki from head to foot. "I can sense Thor's undying love for his mate, which is admirable for a God of Thunder." _

_ "I beg of you, let me return to his side. Shall I rule beside him, I will be a good King to yours." Loki pleaded now, feeling the sadness fall on him at the thought of losing Thor. _

_ "Loki…" _

_ Loki turned his head up to the sky at the sound of Thor's voice calling to him. _

_ "I suppose my thoughts were correct, Son of Laufey." Hela said softly as he again heard Thor's voice ring clear. "You are free to go." She said. With that, Loki was surrounded in a greenish blue light that instantly filled his body with warmth. _

Sif had given Thor the Gem of Infinite Suns and was dismissed from the room as Thor removed his robe and crawled in bed beside Loki. He put the Gem around Loki's neck, resting where his heart would be.

Thor gazed at Loki's frozen looking body. His skin had turned a grey color, his veins were the deep blue his skin was upon their first meeting, and his chest refused to rise as his lips parted barely. His eyes had been closed for some time, ice forming on his lashes and shining in his hair at the stillness of his mate.

"Loki…" Thor sobbed softly, sniffing as he touched Loki's cold cheek with his hand. He saw the Gem softly glowing on his chest, but he was unsure of how well it was working. When he touched Loki and no heat radiated through his skin, he cried a little harder.

"Oh, Loki…" He said, his head falling on the pillow, sobbing into the soft fabric. He failed to see the Gem burning bright and the small fragments of ice melting from his hair and eyes. He failed to notice Loki's fingers twitching as the deep colored veins disappeared under the coloring of his skin back to a lively pale color.

He failed to hear Loki's deep inhale, yet silent nearly as his green eyes opened, bright with life again. He blinked a few times as he looked down at the glowing gem around his neck, almost blinding in light but warm on his skin. The light faded to a flickering like candle motion as he looked to his right, seeing Thor crying.

He touched his now warm hand on Thor's bare shoulder, who looked up with tears leaking from his eyes.

"Hela says hello." Loki said with a smile as Thor held him quickly in his arms, kissing up and down his neck quickly as Loki embraced him as well.

"Thank god she returned you to me." Thor said.

"Please don't let me touch the Casket again." Loki chuckled, granted by one from Thor.

"Oh, god no." Thor said, leaning back so he could stroke Loki's now warm cheek. "I love you too much to let you go."

"I love you too." Loki said, smiling as Thor kissed Loki's lips tenderly.


	25. Blue Caverns

** So, do you guys even like this? Is the integration of Marvel's Universe well enough for you? I'm just wondering cause I haven't had many reviews or anything on this story of mine. Although I love writing it, I'd love to get some feedback from my wonderful readers! Thank you for reading my stories, it makes my day when I get new favs or follows in my email! **

Loki and Thor dressed in leather cuirasses, wrapping their cloaks around their necks for a walk in the morning air. This would be the first time Odin would see Loki since his near death from the Casket.

As they walked out of Thor's golden doors, Fenris ran towards his master, looking to have grown a size as Loki knelt down with outstretched arms, smiling. Fenris reached him, licking his cheek as Loki embraced him, stroking his fur when Odin walked up to them.

"Allfather." Thor and Loki said at the same instant as Loki rose, they bowed to Odin who simply smiled.

"I'm just relieved that Hela saw the strength in her to release my son." He said, Loki's smile brightening at the use of the term.

"It's good to see you, father." Loki said as Odin took him in his arms for a quick embrace before Thor ushered Loki out into the gardens again, Fenris trailing behind, ears high in the air.

When they walked through the gardens, Thor took Loki's hand. "I wish to take you somewhere."

"Lead on." Loki said as Thor guided him.

Once they traveled towards the Isle of Silence, Loki gazed into the fog when Thor walked them into a cavern, deep and dark. At first, Loki hesitated but when Fenris continued on, he walked along as well. When they exited the small hall of rock, they strode into a cavern of beauty. The cavern was not dark now, but covered in small blue lights, shimmering like stars in the cosmos. The lights all varied in strength, but they were equally mesmerizing as any star he could gaze at. Even the floor was covered in them, surrounding them in what could be space but in the earth of Asgard.

"Thor, this is beautiful." Loki said as he walking in circles, gazing at nearly every star and formation he could find.

"I thought you might like it." Thor said softly, smiling as he watched his husband take in the cavern around them.

"Thor," Loki turned and walked to his love. "What was the gem you used to revive me?"

"The Gem of Infinite Suns." Thor said, taking Loki's hands in his. "It has always been known to Sif and Odin, but its sole purpose is to counteract anything the Casket inflicts."

"So, in theory, it might not have worked?" Loki asked.

"Indeed, but that was the risk I was willing to take." Thor said. "But I have known Hela for some thousands of years now, and I knew she would let you go. She merely wanted to see you for herself."

Loki nodded, wetting his lips with his tongue. "I see." He said.

"Loki, what was it like to be in death's hands?" Thor asked, knowing it might be a sensitive subject.

Loki's eyes locked with his. "It was…" Loki said, struggling to find the right words. "At first, it seemed like I was home. There was a terrible absence of my people there, an abundance of souls from possibly thousands of different worlds. The power of Hela was palpable, I felt as though I felt her all around me."

Loki released Thor's hands, walking away from him, stopping to gaze up at the many twinkling lights.

"So it was that she spoke to me, clearly amused at first with her find. She told me she guided me to Hel, where she told me I was neither alive nor dead. I felt such dread at the thought of losing you, I…I pleaded, I told her that I couldn't lose you. It was like it was a game to her, and I was her doll, awaiting its fate."

Loki felt Thor wrapping his arms around his waist, pulling him in so they were standing back to front. Loki let his fingers wrap around Thor's wrists.

"In the end, she let me go." Loki said.

"For good reason." Thor said, trailing a kiss on Loki's neck. "If she took you from me, I would go to Hel and kill her myself."

"Now," Loki said, turning to face Thor. "I wouldn't have you do that." He traced a pale finger along his scruffy jaw. "Not my Thor."

Thor smiled before placing small kisses on Loki's lips. They shared small notes of love through some time before Fenris stood watch at the caverns entrance, giving them time they needed to be alone after recent, frightening events.


	26. Mjolnir

A few weeks after Loki had healed well enough to travel, Thor and Loki were ushered into the throne room to speak with Odin, Frigga at his side. He sat atop the golden throne, Loki in a pair of blue and silver armor, for a change of his green robes, and Thor his regular gold, silver and red cape flowing from his shoulders. Mjolnir in his left hand while his right clasped Loki's.

"What is it you called us for, Father?" Thor asked as Loki and Thor looked up at Odin.

"Thor, you are to take Loki to Nidavellir." Odin said. "I will use all the dark magic I can conjure to get you there and return when you are done. You are to seek out the forgers of Mjolnir, Brok and Buri. Then seek out the King, Eitri."

"Yes, Father, but why?" Thor asked again, curious.

"You are to prove yourself worthy of holding Mjolnir through several trials in the home our enchanting foragers." Odin said, and Thor nodded. He had to do so when he first came to hold Mjolnir, it didn't surprise him he had to again since he was married and one step closer to the throne when the time came.

"When do we leave?" Loki asked, hearing Fenris whimper as he sat beside a guard by the golden doors. Since Loki had healed, Fenris had grown another two sizes in height.

"As soon as I finish conjuring all the magic I can." Odin said. "You are to stay there until your trials are completed, Thor. I suggest you pack now and return when I send for you."

Thor and Loki bowed before exiting the chamber, heading back to their own, Fenris trailing behind them, eyes and ears alert as they began to pack. Loki packed several different robes of armor, various mixes of colors of green and blue. Thor packed his golden and red armors.

In the midst of their packing, Loki noticed Fenris clamped his teeth down on his cape, his eyes sad as we whined softly.

Loki sighed, kneeling down in front of Fenris, Thor watching over his shoulder with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, my son," Loki said, gently removing the cape from his teeth, patting the top of his black head lovingly. "I'm afraid you can't come with me this time." Loki's hand looped down Fenris's ear, down his neck and holding his chin softly, Fenris's tongue stuck out and licked his hand before Loki kissed his head and hugged him.

Thor patted Fenris's head as well as he whined some more, Loki tightening his grip on his son.

"Keep a watchful eye on the kingdom for me, ok?" Loki said as he released Fenris, scratching his fingers in the neck fur deeply.

As Loki heaved himself on the foot of the bed, Thor draped his arm over his shoulders as they watched Fenris slowly walk from the room, looking one last time at his parents before walking the halls of the castle.

"He'll be fine." Thor reassured.

"I know." Loki said, looking up at Thor and kissing him softly when a knock came to their open door. Frigga smiled and nodded, signaling their time to depart to Nidavellir.


	27. Nidavellir

Loki and Thor landed with unsteady footing on nothing but a world of rock and dark mountains. The sky was grey with a little yellow painted along the clouds from the setting sun as it was warm air swirling around them instead of cold.

Loki watched the clouds moving at a steady pace as the light reflected off his sliver armor and blue cloth robes hidden underneath, the same with Thor's golden armor. They hefted their packs over their shoulders, clasped hands and walked into the dark tunnel that led down to the depths of the dwarf city.

Once they were halfway through, staggering booms that vibrated through their bodies almost stopped Loki in his tracks, but Thor urged him along with a gentle smile as they neared the light at the end of the tunnel.

Emerging in the city, they were floored by the golden resemblance to Asgard, then Thor's eyes fell on the silver forges across the way, along the very edge of the city. Loki looked up at the cavernous mountain opening high above them, seeing a small speck of the sky through a tiny hole. The rock walls made him remember the caverns Thor had taken him to after he was revived by Hela from the Casket's fatal touch. He smiled to himself as Thor pulled him along, through the crowded streets.

The Dwarves around them all gave their visitors either happy smiles or looks of disgust as they walked among them. The Dwarves were at least four feet tall, varying in widths, many had lots of hair framing their strong, sturdy faces and they wore lots of leather, while some warriors mixed in wore silver armor, quite resembling Mjolnir's shimmer.

Upon watching the dwarves smiling faces as Thor walked by, Loki couldn't help but notice their anger forced at him as we walked past, instinctively clinging to Thor a little more as they walked through the city, shimmering with gold but covered with a powdery brown dust that gave it a bit more of a rugged, rusted look.

Beginning to mount the steps to the sliver areas, Loki noticed the engravings on each step, which he couldn't read. Stopping, they gazed at the sliver workings around them, Loki unsure of what they were. He watched the many dwarves carving weapons of great magnitude around him, unknowing of their visitors as they seemed absorbed in their work.

He jumped, however, when he heard some grumbling ones, walking through the thick passages between each work area.

"By god, these thundering guests have nosed their way in here." He grumbled. "If you stick your nose in any business that is not yours, you have been warned, lad! Oh- Thor!" The pair of dwarves were standing in front of them now, smiles taking their faces from what was scowls, their arms outstretched as Thor smiled at them.

"Brok, Buri, it is good to see you." Thor said, shaking their hands as the one known as Buri looked at Loki with a look that made the frost giant uneasy.

"What can I do for you, lad?" Brok asked, smiling at Thor. "Do you need Mjolnir checked out?"

"Precisely." Thor said, smiling as he handed the dwarf Mjolnir. Loki was surprised when he held it with as much ease as Thor, as if it weighted nothing in his grimy hands.

"I see." Brok said, smiling as he turned sidelong to them before motioning with his hand to follow, which they did, weaving through the work stations.

"Where are we?" Loki asked quietly.

"These are the mighty Furnaces of Nidavellir." Thor said, smiling and squeezing Loki's tense hand a little. "You have nothing to fear here." Thor said as they stopped alongside Brok and Buri as they huddled over the mighty hammer, inspecting it with various tools, lights and their sharp eyes.

Inhaling, Loki's eyes turned back to gaze over the golden city as he released Thor's hand and walked to the edge of the silver Furnaces. The clanging of tools, booming of large hammers and hissing of water cooling a blade surrounded him as he felt homesick for Asgard. He smiled as he wondered what trouble Fenris might be up to. He loved to pester Sif a lot.

"You don't belong here."

Loki started at the scruffy voice to his left. Looking down, he saw Buri standing there, his leather clad arms crossed over his broad chest, his brown beard expanding from his chin as his hair was hidden under a helmet, black like charcoal.

"I'm sorry?" Loki asked, becoming nervous, but holding his ground.

"You don't belong anywhere, you ice rat." Buri said, making Loki draw back a little. "If you do anything to hurt Thor, you have me to answer to."

Loki swallowed. "I assure you, I mean him no harm." Loki said.

"I'm sure that's what they all said before they waged war on Asgard nearly every year." Buri snapped back, turning on his heel and walking back to Brok as they thoroughly inspected Mjolnir.

Trying not to let his anger and sadness show, Loki turned back to gaze at the busy city, keeping his fists, clenched and trembling, out of view from the eyes of the dwarves.


	28. Chamber of Records

As Loki watched Thor chatting with Brok and Buri as if they were best friends, he sat on the edge of the Furnace platform, sighing as his cheek rested on his palm, watching the city below him bustle with movement.

"You grow tired of the Furnaces?"

Loki raised his eyes to the dwarf that was eye level with him. This dwarf had a golden colored beard that protruded from his chin, he had blue eyes and wore silver and gold plated armor. He had his hands clasped behind his back as he watched his visitor with curiosity.

"Perhaps." Loki said, somewhat stunned that a dwarf was speaking with him as he was welcome.

The dwarf nodded before speaking. "Come, then, traveler." He said as Loki stood, straightening his armor over his blue robes as the dwarf led him away from the Furnaces, flowing through the golden streets to the other side of the mountain, walking through another pair of silver doors.

Loki was in awe by the detail the dwarves had taken in creating their home from precious metals, scraps and carvings of rock. He only took in the few doorways he walked through, all showing exquisite detail in telling stories of the trees, rock, spirits that dwell within, of Hel and many other realms gracing their walls or doors.

Loki stood as he took in the final chamber that they entered, full of bookshelves towering above him, far larger than any he had seen before and stuffed to the brim with books, rolls of parchment and many loose papers scattered in as well. The golden torches glowing throughout the room gave a dull like just well enough to make Loki feel at home as the dwarf walked him to a table, gesturing for him to sit as Loki did. The dwarf walked through they many shelves and pulled out various books, rolls and papers he could find before placing them on the table, sitting opposite Loki.

"Thank you." Loki said, smiling as the dwarf returned his smile. Loki took a big, blue book in his hands. It had a faded, deep blue color with old looking paper by the yellowing of its pages as he inspected what it read on the cover. "Alfhiem?" Loki asked.

"Yes. The realm of the light and ice elves." The dwarf replied easily.

"Ice?" Loki asked, a sudden feeling in his stomach of home making his heart ache.

"Approximately half of the realm is a spring like climate while the other is ice and snow." The dwarf tapped the book. "It's all in these pages, lad."

Loki swallowed, nodding as the dwarf stood and walked towards the door before he stopped and glanced at Loki's left hand, which was lying flat on the hard, leather cover of the book.

"You're the one we fashioned the rings for?" He said as Loki looked up and met his eyes, nodding. The dwarf smiled. "It suits you."

"Sir, why do you accept me, unlike many others of your kind?" Loki asked this without thinking, really, as he kept his eyes locked on the dwarf's blue ones.

"Unlike others, I see the true light in your eyes, reflecting from your heart. I know you mean to do good with yourself, your powers and with your husband. Unlike others, I know you are a good prince, and I know you will rule as wisely as he will."

Loki blinked a few times as he nodded, returning his eyes longingly to the book before him. The dwarf clapped a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently as he exited the chamber of records, leaving his privileged visitor to read and discover new things.


	29. Miss the Stars

As Loki walked around in their new chambers for their stay in the dwarven realm, Loki stared into the fireplace, now burning a bright blue color. He wore a pair of blue robes, simple and sheer hanging over his pale body.

The words Buri spoke to him echoed in his head. Could he hurt Thor? If he did, would he be able to stop himself? He swallowed, looking down to his feet as he wrapped his arms around himself. Sighing, he walked to the bed, were Thor was laying, naked, under the covers, waiting for Loki to join him. He sat atop the sheets, leaning back as his eyes hit the ceiling.

"Sort of makes you miss the stars." Thor said, wrapping an arm around Loki, slowly sliding his hand under the robes on his shoulder, tracing circles on his skin lovingly.

"Wait, let me try something…" Loki said, lifting his hands up to face the ceiling, palms up. His voice trailed off as he concentrated. His eyes narrowed slightly as his fingers trembled. He inhaled, then exhaled, closing his eyes as Thor watched the magic taking hold. He noticed the colors changing from a dark brown to some hints of purple, midnight blue and very subtle hints of green swirling above them, slowly showing shining blue stars of light as he squeezed Loki to him, smiling at the stars above them.

When Loki let his hands fall to the mattress, his eyes opened and he smiled at the scene above their heads. Then a thought came into his head, saddening him almost instantly as he sat up, feeling Thor's hand fall from his shoulder as Loki stood, walking to the fireplace, gazing up at the sky.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Thor asked, sitting up in bed.

Loki wet his lips with his tongue, shaking his head as his eyes fell to the flickering fire.

"Loki, tell me." Thor said softly, taking a robe from the bedside and wrapping it around himself, still sitting on the bed.

Loki hesitated before speaking. "Why can't we live in harmony, Thor? Why is there always hatred between races?" He didn't meet Thor's eyes as he said this, he didn't think he could without crumbling.

"That is the way of the world, Loki." Thor said. "It is how it always has been, always will be." Thor stood, but not moving towards his love. "Is everything alright?" Thor asked, Loki could hear the worry in his voice, he could smell it in the air.

"What if I hurt you?" Loki asked, the whisper barely carried by the air around them. Loki felt tears fall down his cheeks, he wiped them away furiously.

"Loki," Thor said, suddenly right beside Loki, taking his hand in his, turning his teary eyes up to Thor's dry ones. "I know you couldn't hurt me, nor any other soul you love so dearly."

Loki quivered in Thor's grasp.

Thor shook his head, tucking some strands of shaking raven hair behind Loki's ear, his hand falling to cup Loki's cheek. "What troubles you so?" Thor whispered. "What can't seem to leave you alone?"

"Drown out my dreams, Thor. Make my memories fade, please." Loki sighed into his warm hand on his face. "Take it all away."

Thor slowly inclined Loki's chin and kissed his lips deeply. He felt Loki's form trembling in his arms as he held tight to his husband, wishing he could help on a deeper level, cleanse the Jotun he loved with all his being.


	30. Ice Orbs

Loki woke later that night, shaken by the sounds of the stone groaning around them, as if it were alive, which Loki didn't doubt. Sitting up, he tried to silently catch his breath, running a hand up to his forehead before sliding it through his hair, which was abnormally knotted. Looking down at Thor, he was still sound asleep as Loki smiled before getting out of bed, taking his blue robe and wrapping it around himself, tying it but still keeping an arm secure around his waist as he walked to the doors, opening them as silently as he could before stepping out into the silent kingdom.

The darkness was pierced by the moonlight streaming down in a beacon like fashion from the opening of the mountain miles away, only hitting the center of the city. He stopped, remembering something his mother used to do when he was afraid of the dark.

Bringing his hands up, palm up, he closed his eyes and inhaled, feeling the ice forming as the temperature fell slightly around his chest. He heard the small cracks of the ice growing when he opened his eyes. Smiling, he saw two small orbs of ice in his hands, glowing the same eerie light as the moon, and he concentrated as they slowly rose from his hands and swirled in circles slowly around his shoulders, illuminating a small portion of the area he stood in.

Satisfied, he continued walking through the quiet city, running his fingers through his tangled hair as he did so. He hadn't realized how much it had grown over the time he spent in Asgard, it was now drooping softly down to just above his collarbones, curls delicately at the ends that he fiddled with. He might need to get it cut soon when he heard something.

"Can't sleep?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin as he whirled around on the visitor who snuck up on him. He realized as he relaxed that he had put himself in a sort of attack stance, and he shook his head, smirking a little.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me." Loki said as the dwarf who had taken him to the Chamber of Records walked beside him, watching in awe at the orbs circling him. "Sometimes I can be dangerous to those I don't mean to."

"It's understandable, we all have that potential." The dwarf said.

"Oh, here." Loki said, drawing his hand up again. He concentrated as he walked; making a bigger orb that flew out of his hand and around the dwarf, who marveled at it every time it passed in front of his chest.

"It's amazing how much a Jotun is useful." The dwarf said, smiling up at Loki.

"Oh, I learned that from my mother." Loki said, looking forward at the sudden cold latching over his heart.

"I'm sorry." The visitor said.

"Oh, no need, I'm doing well." Loki replied.

"So, why do you wander?" The dwarf asked.

Loki looked around at the quiet, stone city. "Nightmares are the usual cause, sometimes visions, but that's rare."

"I see." The dwarf replied. "So, walking helps?"

"So it seems." Loki said. "I never caught your name?"

"All good things to those who wait." The dwarf said, making Loki chuckle.

"Alright." Loki replied. Then he thought of something. "Why did you give me the records of Alfhiem?" Loki asked, stopping on the edge of the palace walkway.

"Let's just say, it was intuition." The dwarf said, making Loki draw back slightly. The dwarf only smiled. "Goodnight, Loki." He said before shuffling off towards the castle entrance, the orb still following his small frame as Loki stood where he was, unable to take in what he had said.


	31. The First Vision

_The Chitauri grow restless. You are more than ready to lead, young King. Come to us, we will awaken your resolve. You cannot hide from your true nature, sorcerer… Your power deserves to be released, it deserves to be reckoned with…You can't evade us any longer, Loki Laufeyson… _

Loki woke with a start, his body shaking, trembling as he sat up straight, his hair falling into his face as he tried to regain his breath. Swallowing, he noticed he did feel an slight increase in his power, looking down at his shaking fingers, he saw the sparks, like green fire coming from the tips of them, shocking himself as the fire instantly snuffed itself out. As he caught his breath, Thor entered the room as Loki lowered his hands on the mattress. He felt the power flowing away as he calmed down.

"You slept late." Thor said, dressed in his armor. "I was just about to wake you. You must get up, my love. We have to meet with the King."

Loki nodded weakly, swallowing his statement of speaking this with Thor. Instead, he got up, wrapped his robes around himself and headed to the bath hall, still slightly shaken by his vision, if that's what he should call it.

About half an hour later, Thor and Loki were walking to the King's Hall. Loki wore his golden horn helmet, gold armor and green cape flowing out from his shoulders. Thor wore his silver armor and red cape flowing down his back and Mjolnir held in his right hand, his left holding Loki's hand.

When the great doors opened, revealing the King's throne, Loki kept his eyes glued to the floor, thinking of the vision he had this morning, wondering what it could mean when Thor began speaking.

"King Eitri." Thor said, bowing, making Loki do the same, still not having looked at the King.

"Welcome Thor, Loki, to Nidavellir." The King said, finally Loki moved his eyes and nearly gasped at who he saw. It was no other than the dwarf who had taken him to the Chamber of Records, and who had accompanied him on his walk last night. Swallowing, he felt ashamed of being so vulnerable in a King's presence, playing his weaknesses to someone who could use it against him. "I hope your room was to your liking."

"More than likeness, sir. When shall we begin the trials?" Thor asked, getting right down to business.

"We may start immediately." Eitri said, nodding at Loki which was barely perceptible.


	32. Laevateinn

_You crave the power to dominate those you despise. Retrieve me in the Weapons Vault, awaken your sights as the ruler you're destined to become. Take the first step towards who you are… _

Loki's eyes opened quickly, his breathing level and calm as he lay in bed. They had returned to Asgard two days ago after the trial's had been successful. Loki sat up in bed, taking his robe from his bedside chair and securing it around himself as he watched Thor carefully for any movement, but he gave none.

As he exited his chambers, nearing the Weapons Vault, he felt his power coursing through him, stronger, more present than ever. Pushing open the doors, he walked into a side section of the vault, where there were loads of other treasures; Loki was looking for one item in particular.

He also felt like a new person. His blue eyes had turned a green shade as he sauntered closer to his object in question. He felt as if he had been reborn with a new purpose than to play the role of innocent prince to his partner, that miserable Thor. Everyone paid attention to him, never Loki. Did they truly doubt his powers so? They will pay for that.

He stopped instantly as he found a glint in the corner of his eye. Turning towards the shimmer, he laid eyes on it. Smiling, he felt his heart soar as he thought of doing so many things to his victims with this sword. Picking it up, he grazed his hands over the blade, sharp as ever as it gave a metallic sound of light and agile movements, but a deadly glow sang through him as well.

"Ah, yes. My Laevateinn." Loki said, smirking wickedly as he chuckled softly, his green eyes glowing in the dark light. "My wounding wand."

Taking the sword, he began to walk out of the room when he was met with a guard standing in the doorway.

"You may not take that with you, My Lord." He said, standing straight. Loki only walked towards him still, a wicked gleam in his green eyes. The power flowed through the blade, extending his grand powers and strong muscles to new limits.

"Why not?" Loki asked, his voice a little scratchy and lower than normal.

The guard looked puzzled. "I cannot permit you to take it. It's forbidden to enter this chamber."

"Shh.." Loki said, placing a hand on the guard's mouth hard, freezing it over with ice as the man's screams were muffled. Loki was looking over the man's shoulder, a blank look on his face as he held the blade up to the guard's abdomen. "You don't order me, a God…" Loki rasped before pushing the blade quickly through his victim, protruding out of his back, covered in blood as he went rigid under his icy hand.

Pulling the blade out just as easily, the guard fell to the ground, leaking blood in a puddle as Loki wiped the liquid from Laevateinn with a sweep of his hand in the air, making it flow into a small ball floating in the air.

"That's a good lad." Loki said, chuckling as he moved his hand to the left over the body, making it vanish instantly, along with the puddle and ball of blood. "Giving your life for the safety of your kingdom…" Smiling wickedly, Loki snapped his fingers and made Laevateinn vanish as well, knowing where it had teleported to. Nobody would find it. It was his after all.

On his walk back to his room, he closed the door behind him and caught a glimpse of something shimmering on his finger. Looking at it, a grand ring lay on it, making him squint.

"What is-

With a great gasp and shudder, Loki fell to his knees, holding his arms as the power seemed to vanish from his blood, the grisly memory of what he had done to an innocent man playing in his mind. He felt tears falling down his cheeks as he silently cried, leaning on the foot of the bed, shrinking in his robes as he knew the treason he had again committed.

He made a decision then: He wouldn't tell anyone of these episodes. Never.


	33. Sif

Loki and Thor were walking around the palace when they ran into the Warriors 3. Loki took Thor's hand, a memory of what happened the previous night staying in his head, making him shiver. Thor smiled and placed his arm over Loki's blue clad shoulders.

"Have you tried out any new weapons?" Hogun asked Sif, who nodded.

"I've tried my hand at a few." She said. "I have no doubt I could beat you any time."

"I take that to heart." Thor said, smiling. Loki did the same, but it slowly faded as he heard someone speak in his head.

_Cut her hair. It's too good for her, she doesn't deserve it. _

Loki froze, trying to seem like he was listening to the escalating conversation, but he felt as if he were losing himself. He heard his heart pounding in his ears as the power made his hands twitch, balling into fists to keep himself from lashing out.

_You know you want to. Then you will have Thor's attention. _

"Loki? Are you alright?" She asked him, making Loki panic. Breathing hard, he shook his head.

"If you'll please excuse me." He said before walking out from under Thor's arm and into the corridor. Shaking his head, he took some deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but it didn't entirely work. Pacing, he put his hands over his ears.

"Stop, please…" Loki muttered. "I won't do that, I can't…"

"Loki?"

Loki jumped out of his skin, looked behind him to see Thor standing there, a worried look plagued his face. Sighing, he walked to Thor, who put his hand on Loki's shoulder.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Thor asked.

Loki felt the panic taking hold of him again, but he shook his head. He couldn't tell Thor about this, none of it, nobody will know.

"Are you certain? You can tell me anything, you know." Thor clarified.

Loki nodded, not trusting his voice just in case it cracked, which would give him away instantly. Thor nodded and walked him back into the Dining Hall, joining the Warriors for dinner. Loki tried to cancel out any other noise from inside his head as he enjoyed his meal, stealing glances at Sif.

Later that night, Loki woke again from the voice speaking to him. The power coursing through his veins, he walked into the Warriors Chambers, with plenty of questioning glances from the guards as he did so. He had dressed in a black and green leather cuirass and his hair was a little tangled at the ends, splayed about his shoulders in delicate curls.

With his green eyes glowing, he watched the sleeping forms of his supposed friends laying still in their golden beds. Smirking as he silently walked towards Sif's bed, he brought a hand up and moved it across the length of all the beds.

"Sleep, my friends." He said in a whisper, watching the green fog flowing into their nostrils. "Wake only when the sun returns…" Once he sensed their breathing deepening, their minds drifting into the darkness of sleep, he smirked and walked to the side of Sif's bed.

He silently took out a small knife from his belt, took Sif's hair that was already pulled back into a ponytail in his fingers. He quickly cut the hair into his hands before snapping his fingers and it vanished in a form of black smoke.

Once he left the room, he made sure he was out of earshot of the guards. "Perfect." He said before he neared his own door. At the next moment, he clutched his heart, gasping for air as he slumped on his knees, his eyes wide as the green faded, replaced by their normal blue.

"Sir!" A guard ran over, kneeling down beside Loki, making sure he was ok. "Are you alright? Do you need healing?"

Catching his breath, Loki shook his head. "No, I'm fine." The guard helped him stand up. "Just a, um," Loki said, unsure of what to say. "Thank you." Loki nodded at the guard, who opened the door for him and Loki slipped inside.

Quickly he lay in bed again, waving his hand and removing his leather clothing, trying to shut out the nightmare that haunted the darkness of what he had again, unexplainably committed.


	34. Sewn

Loki woke the next morning with Fenris whining in his ear. Instantly remembering what he had done to Sif, he opened his eyes to the feeling of an immense weight on his chest. It was then that he felt the searing pain around his mouth, hot liquid covering his lips.

Opening his eyes, he saw Thor immediately on top of him, appearing to be sewing his lips shut, and Fenris was at his side, looking sad. Sif, the Warriors 3 and Odin were on either side of the bed, watching with serious expressions, the guards from their chambers on the end of the bed, all watching Loki's punishment.

Loki felt tears falling down his cheeks as his hands moved up to claw at Thor, his nails sinking into the skin and muscles on his arms as Thor's face contorted in sorrow as he pulled the needle in and out of his closed mouth.

"Forgive me…" Thor said miserably as Loki's tears fell faster, his whimpering distorted as the tug from the quivering lips making him wince in pain, shutting him up instantly.

_No, you're not._ Loki felt the fury boiling in his blood as his tears ceased to flow. _You did this to me, Thor. Now you'll pay. You call yourself a God? I'll make you wish you weren't. _

When Thor finished sewing up Loki's lips, he cut the string with a wince from Loki before he gave the needle to Odin. Thor then looked back at Loki and gasped at what he saw. His blue eyes changed to a green color.

_Enchanted string? Oh, Thor, you'll have to do better than that when I get out of this._ Loki made his words heard in Thor's mind, and he was pleased at Thor's gasp.

"Loki?" He asked, hearing a crack in his voice.

_Don't give me that, Thor. You obviously don't care for me. Since you don't,_ Loki took his hands up in front of Thor and removed his ring from his finger. Right in front of Thor's very eyes, Loki melted the ring, the liquid forming in his palm before it snuffed out in a black flame.

Thor's eyes watered.

_You're Loki is no more._ Loki's voice hissed in Thor's head. _Now leave me._


	35. Split

That night, as Loki fitfully slept, he was fighting an internal battle. Twitching and tossing, the ice was encasing the room again, dangerously lowering the temperature. His body fell to a frigid state of stillness as he fought the bindings of his enchanted string, cutting and scraping his lips worse throughout the night.

_Why did you say that to Thor?_

_ I did it for your own good. If he can do that to his husband, he deserves to lose you. _

The Jotun side of Loki stared in disbelief at the Asgardian Loki, both dressed in their black and green leather cuirass.

_Please, I don't know what I did to wake you, but I don't want you here. _

The Asgardian Loki smirked at Jotun Loki, sauntering towards him.

_Don't lie to me, Jotun. I've seen your dreams of ruling; it's in your blood. You can't tell me you don't have the resolve to rule whoever you wish. Why not start with the God who hurt you so? The one who betrayed you after you were so desperately bound. _

Jotun Loki flinched at the mocking tone in Asgardian's bound statement, but he didn't speak. The laugh coming from the other resonated in his ears.

_Ah, so you don't defend yourself? This speaks volumes, doesn't it? I promise, let me take over, you won't be disappointed. _

Loki's blue markings slowly faded, going back to his pale color as he merged with his second being, becoming one in his divided mind. On the outside, Loki fell into a deep slumber, finally undisturbed by the silence in his mind, the submission of his former self giving his bad side full control.


	36. Heimdall

Loki woke with a start a few days later. The string on his lips had been removed; the line of dots now plagued his skin. He had woken from a call by the Chitauri. They wanted his power, they wanted his knowledge. Now, he would give it to them.

With a wave of his hand, he was in his black and green leather cuirass and storming out of his chambers, heading for the still ruined Rainbow Bridge. He knew who he must speak with to get his answer.

In the dead of night, he wasn't surprised when he found Heimdall waiting for him, knowing of his arrival.

"What troubles you, young prince?" Heimdall's booming voice spoke.

Loki walked right up to him, seized him by the jaw, and spoke in his ear. "You will tell me where the Chitauri are, if not, I shall kill you."

With great difficulty, Heimdall didn't speak.

"Shall I up the stakes, Gate Keeper?" Loki hissed, taking a small dagger and stabbing Heimdall in his side. Hearing the mighty Eye grunt, Loki twisted the blade in his victim. When Heimdall still didn't speak, Loki began freezing the blade, along with the still silent Heimdall. As the ice crept up his side, Heimdall gave a barely perceptible whisper of a planet.

Knowing it could full well be a trap, he didn't care. Leaving the dagger in his side, Loki released Heimdall's throat, stepped back and smirked as he launched ice at the Gate Keeper, freezing him to the spot on the broken bridge. Once his victim was completely frozen, Loki smiled, stepped to the very edge of the bridge and pictured where the location was in his mind.

"Saturn it is then." He said before taking a step off the bridge, slightly falling before he was encased in green.

As he was enveloped in the green flames, he soon landed on ground. Stumbling slightly, he gained his footing and took in his surroundings, noticing many Chitauri armies already assembled. He ascended the stairs towards the King's throne, ready to make his deal.


	37. The Other

After a few long hours of talking with the possible leader of the Chitauri about an artifact called the Tesseract, somewhere in the realm of Midgard, Loki felt confident that he finally silkily talked this way into the mind of this Chitauri who called himself the 'Other'.

"The Chitauri grow restless." He said.

"Let them gird themselves. I will lead them into glorious battle." Loki said, holding a scepter the Other had given him. The staff was golden on the handle, long and easy to wield that matched his gold helmet of horns and silver armor, his green cape flowing from his back.

"Battle? Against the meager might of Earth?" The Other had grasped a rock in his hand, that oddly had one too many fingers under his purple bluish skin.

"Glorious, not lengthy." Loki said, turning away from the leader. "If your force is as formidable as you claim."

"You question us? You question him?" The leader attempted to whirl towards Loki, but not staring right in his face with his hooded eyes. "He who put the scepter in your hand? He who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated!"

"I was a King! Betrayed!" Loki said, snapping at the Other.

"Your ambition is little, born of childish need." Loki walked towards a flight of stairs, trying to peer up to where it might lead but walking away from it. He was smart enough not to step where he shouldn't. "We look beyond the Earth, to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil."

"You don't have the Tesseract yet." Loki said smartly, making the Other zoom towards him with unnatural speed, his fingered hand raising towards Loki's face. "I don't threaten, but until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words." Loki said faintly.

"You will have your war, Asgardian." The Other said, walking slowly around Loki until he was standing behind the god. "But if you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where we can't find you." He nearly spat this into Loki's ear, Loki felt the faint presence of tears behind his eyes, and he tried to blink them rapidly away.

"You think you know pain? He will make you long for something sweet as pain." The Other whispered in his ear, but Loki walked away from him quickly, whirling in him, feeling his powerful rein take hold again, the tears long suppressed under many sheets of steely resolve.

"Just show me the portal to this realm of Midgard." Loki said. "Open the door, I will not fail you, I promise you that. Mortals are no match for a God." Loki said, lowering his gaze at the Other.

He nodded. "We will prepare at sundown." He said, walking up his stairs, Loki remained where he stood; ready to lead the war he had been waiting for. He'll prove himself to Thor the hard way.


	38. Midgard

Loki stood at the end of Saturn's metal civilization. His armor had changed to a green and leather cuirass, but a few strands of black leather streaked down to his feet, covering his legs in separate, thick strands, hitting his leather clad ankles. His scepter had a somewhat shorter handle, still golden, as the tip shimmered a brighter blue. His helmet wasn't needed at the moment as his hair curled towards the ends. He felt a somewhat glimmer of excitement in his stomach, confidence in his heart as he was prepared to wage war on Midgard.

"Asgardian, until the portal opens. We'll be watching…" The Other said behind him.

"I will not fail you." Loki said as the blue portal began to materialize in front of him. The dark depths of space looked bland to its brilliance. The blue whole began to swirl around like a tornado, the bright color making Loki smile as he stepped off the edge of the metal, falling into it as he was sucked in quickly.

As his body whipped in all directions, his limbs twisting and his body flailing in the blue wormhole, he felt his resolve strengthening as a sudden flash of Thor's face flickered over his eyes.

"I'll show you, Thor…" He hissed into the nothing. "I'll show the God's who has the real power…"

The flight through the wormhole increased as he felt his strength slightly being sapped from him. His skin began to pale under the journey's strain, feeling a small lack of air reaching his lungs as his breathing grew a little shallow. The bright lights began to slightly sting his eyes as the wind whipped his hair all around his face and neck.

Just as he felt he wouldn't land anywhere, he felt somewhat of solid ground beneath him. Crouching on his knees, he stayed still as he felt himself gaining an even more solid stance on the ground beneath him. Head bowed, scepter in his right hand, the end on the ground beside him, he caught his breath slowly, feeling a slight sheen of sweat forming over his face. When the blue light disappeared, he knew he finally landed.

_I've done it_, he thought to himself. _I've landed_.

Slowly standing on his somewhat shaky limbs, taking in big breaths to steady his rapid heartbeat, he looked up and saw the many mortals already surrounding them. A man with an eye patch stood next to a man with all black clothing on, his brown hair short and clipped.

Behind them stood several people in white coats, long over their bodies and an elderly appearing man in a blue patterned shirt and trousers standing behind some odd screens. Loki took in the many people walking towards him, things appearing to be weapons pointed at him as he rose to his full height, a wicked smiled gracing his lips as he looked down to the men slowly approaching him with evil intentions.

"Sir!" A voice rang out, and he looked immediately to the man with the eye patch. "Please put down the spear!"

Loki looked down to it at once before holding it out in front of him, then pulling it back with a bright blue flash of light. He heard many screams as it hit glass and sparks flew from behind where it hit.

Flying through the air, he honed in on a small man shooting at him, the bullets disintegrating once they hit his chest plate. He landed on one knee and sunk the scepter's end into the man's chest, falling limp to the ground with a grunt.

Two men behind him were shooting as well, Loki quickly turned, flicking his arm out in a wide arc sideways, watching two small daggers fly through the air and sink into their throats, making them fall to the ground instantly.

He stood and shot towards the people in white, hearing many glass shattering and people screaming and grunting as the blue light took them when a man walked up to him. He sliced his abdomen with his scepter and he fell to the ground.

Men took aim at him a few feet away and a blow to his forehead, just at his temple, but he instantly made the bullet go a different direction, healing his wound with amazing speed, and shot the scepter at the men, one taking the direct hit of blue while the one he noticed earlier rolled out of the way.

A final man ran towards him, he kicked the victim, flung into a concrete wall with a hook as he heard the crack and the man slumped to the floor in a limp heap.

Loki stood there, scepter at the ready as he watched the damage he'd done. Many sparks flew, but no bodies moved from the floor. All, that is, except one. Instantly seeing him he walked over quickly as the man stood, reached for what appeared to be his weapon strapped to his leg, but Loki grabbed his wrist, twisting it slightly. The man gasped, wincing in his grip as he stared at Loki.

"You have heart." Loki said in a rusty tone as he brought the scepter up to the man's chest, watching the blue light stream up his chest, neck and face, enveloping his eyes at first in black but then in blue.

As the man relaxed his arm, Loki let him go as they caught their breaths, Loki smiled as he holstered his gun. Loki stalked away, towards some other people, taking victims of them, pretending not to notice the man placing the fuming Tesseract into a small, silver box of some sort. He did, however, take interest when the man stood.

"Please don't." Loki said, finally turning to him. "I still need that."

"This doesn't have to get any messier." The man said, not looking at Loki.

"Of course it does, I've come too far for anything else." Loki said, pausing for a moment. The man turned at this silence and Loki continued. "I am Loki, of Asgard. And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

"Loki! Bound with Thor!" The voice off to his left distracted him, making him turn and glare with barred teeth at the man in the blue shirt.

"We have no quarrel with your people." The man with the box said.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot." Loki said, noticing the blue orb of loose energy from his teleportation by the Tesseract floating above them. He felt his resolve again strengthen.

"Are you planning to step on us?" The man asked.

"I come with glad tidings." Loki said, walking towards the man in the blue shirt before turning towards the other again. "Of a world made free."

"Free from what?"

"Freedom." Loki said to the man with the patch, rather quickly as he remembered Thor sewing his lips shut rather without dispute from the people who watched. "Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart," Loki whirled around, his scepter hitting the older man's chest and taking his mind with it. "You will know peace."

"Yeah, you say peace, I kind of think you mean the other thing." The patched one said when the first he had changed stepped in.

"Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow, drop a hundred feet of rock on us." He looked up at the blue ball of light. "He means to bury us.

"Like the pharaohs of old." The one appearing to be Fury said.

"He's right, the portal is collapsing in on itself. We've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical." The man in blue said, walking away from a computer screen.

"Well then." Loki said, watching his first appointed take his gun quickly, shoot Fury and walk towards the box as Loki and his servants begin to exit the chamber. Loki doubled over for a moment, the pain and exhaustion from his journey hitting him now since the excitement of the small battle had dissipated in his veins.


	39. The Tunnel

As Loki followed his minions out of the chamber, they walked past a woman who was clad in a black suit, effective for combat. She gazed at them a little longer than made Loki comfortable as they neared a few strange looking black masses.

"We'll need these vehicles!" The first called.

"Who's that?" The woman asked.

"He didn't tell me." The first replied when she walked away slowly. Loki got into the back of one of the masses, holding onto the top of it when he heard something chirping over a radio like contraption the woman was holding.

"Barton, Hill, he's taken-

As the radio said this, Barton, who he must be, turned around and shot some rounds at the woman, who ducked behind a wall as Barton got into the car with another man who Loki didn't know the name and they started moving up a hill and into a tunnel. The woman dashed out of cover long enough to take a few shots and Loki but missed badly.

As Loki caught his breath in the back of the speeding mass, some blaring sounds came into his ears, the people pursuing them in grey masses, gaining on them with flashing lights of red and blue coming from their windows. The screaming noise hurt his ears as he leaned forward, his jaw set as he moved his scepter forward, glowing bright blue as it shot away, making him hit the floor hard as one of the cars was crushed from the front in. He watched as it skidded to a stop, falling over itself on its, roof, making the one behind it stop.

Hearing some booms like the ones he was shot at with, Loki looked to the front of the mass and saw the girl who had shot at him in a mass as well, but Barton appeared to be pushing her along as they were touching their fronts, their guns shooting from their windows at each other.

Just as this was happening, the ground behind Loki began to fall, breaking apart and collapsing the way back down. He looked ahead again, watching as the woman was then somehow falling behind their mass of what must be a vehicle and she was gaining on them. Barton hit the gas and moved away from her as the ground fell into her car, making her stop when a massive rock hit the front of her car.

Loki smirked as they appeared to leave the tunnel and he could see the stars in the night sky. He turned so he was standing on the back of the vehicle, his staff in one hand and his other gripping the handle of the car on the roof.

As Barton turned onto a dirt road, Loki heard something behind them stirring up the air and dirt around them. Looking back, Barton made the vehicle turn so they were facing it and Loki could see the Fury in it, pointing a weapon that these human's seemed to favor over others. Loki raised his scepter and shot the blue light at the aircraft, watching in satisfaction as it fell from the air quickly engulfed in smoke and fire as Barton steered them back onto solid road.

Loki looked back as the aircraft fell to the ground, a smile on his face as he looked at the heap of metal before looking forward, again catching his breath and feeling a little tired from the many pulses of adrenaline shooting through his exhausted body.

He knew one thing: the war has begun.


	40. Truth

As Loki sat in the back of an underground chamber, he didn't know where or what to call them, he watched the many people in white coats milling around. All the security guards also walked around, none of them pestering him as he watched the man named Eric Selvig working on the Tesseract, Agent Barton standing beside him.

As he watched his scepter gently flickering brighter shades of blue in the dim light, he felt himself drifting into a state of silence, his Jotun side wishing to speak.

_Why are you doing this?_ His blue form asked, their garments the same but skin the only difference. _This isn't right! _

_You have no reason to tell me what I can and can't do. _Loki spat. _Why have you returned? _

_You need to be talked into reason._ Jotun Loki said.

_Do you think this wise?_ Loki asked.

_You don't need to do this. Ruling isn't like war._ Jotun said as they walked circles around one another.

_You don't understand!_ Loki hissed. _I have to prove myself to Thor! I have to show them who they've brought out! _

_Fear isn't the answer._ Jotun Loki replied.

_Fear is the answer! Strike fear into their hearts so they never ruin me again. _

_ Please, this isn't what you need to go through._ Jotun pleaded. _Don't suffer through this useless toil. _

Asgardian Loki scoffed, laughing at Jotun Loki's cries for him to stop. _Well, Jotun_. Loki said, walking towards his second side. _I suggest you go back to sleep, my innocent one. You will not want to see the rest of this journey through this pitiful realm called Midgard. _

Jotun stared at Loki, disbelief in his face as he shook his head. _Don't do this._

Loki walked so he was only an arms-length away. _Too late._

Loki opened his eyes, inhaling as he felt his power suppressing Jotun Loki's side of him down into the depths of his mind once again. He couldn't have his weaker side showing himself anytime soon.

Loki stood and walked up to Eric and Clint, who smiled at his appearance.

"Hey. The Tesseract is showing me so much. Its more than knowledge, its truth." Selvig said, a smile on his face as he looked at Loki.

"I know." Loki said, eyes on Selvig. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?" Loki asked, looking to Barton.

"My next target." Barton said.

"Tell me what you need." Loki said as Barton walked to his case of weapons and took out his bow.

"I'll need a distraction. And an eyeball." He said, watching Loki watch him, a smile on his face before they walked out of the space they occupied.


	41. Stuttgart

As Loki walked around the gala in Stuttgart, he smiled as his scepter served as his walking stick, the tip glowing blue as he wore a simple black suit with a green and gold scarf hanging over his neck. He walked down the stairs as the music continued, beginning to die down as he neared his target.

A man was hidden around the corner, Loki lifted his stick up and smacked him across the face, the crack echoing through the marble building as shrieks and screams echoed afterwards. Loki ran towards his target, grasped him by the back of his neck and walked him onto the statue.

Flipping him upon the stone, Loki took something silver out of his jacket, clicking it down with a jerk of his wrist and waited for it to begin moving, the blue light flowing on his target's face. Just a few moments later, the circling motion began to speed up and he slapped the object on the man's face. The screaming surrounded him as he looked up at the terror filling the marble building.

He gave a smile of pleasure as he watched them running out, away from him as he took the device off the man's face. Placing it in his jacket again, he smirked before walking out, onto the red carpet so many were running on and his scepter glowed faintly, his armor appearing over him, replacing his suit.

Another siren shot through the air as a vehicle came tearing towards him. With a shot of blue, the car flipped onto its hood, scraping on the ground as he spoke.

"Kneel before me!" He hollered, making holograms of himself on either side of the scrambling crowd.

_Please…stop… _

Shaking his head, he beat his scepter on the ground. "I said, KNEEL!"

The people fell silent, falling to their knees instantly as Loki smiled.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation."

_No it's not…This isn't the life for them…._

Shaking his head again, he continued. "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

An older man stood then, looking at Loki. "Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me." Loki said, a smile spreading over his face.

"There are always men like you."

"Look to your elder." Loki said.

_Stop this nonsense! _

"Let him be an example…" His scepter began to glow as the blue shot moved fast through the air and he grunted when it hit him in the stomach, making him fall to the ground when he heard someone speaking.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing." The man was walking towards Loki, who began to smirk as he slowly stood, his scepter serving as a walking stick.

"The soldier." Loki said, chuckling. "The man out of time." He stood, now towering over Captain America.

"I'm not the one who's out of time." The Captain said when an aircraft came over to them, showing its guns.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." The voice rang through some speakers before Loki shot at the machine, but they moved out of the way, the Captain now earning his full attention.

They fought, dodging blows when the smaller man punched Loki in the jaw, Loki snapping back with fire in his eyes.

_He doesn't deserve this! Stop fighting an innocent man!_

As they fought, Loki picked Captain up and threw him across the concrete, hearing his grunts of pain when a sudden noise filled his ears, possibly music of some sort when a machine shaped like a man flew towards him, clad in gold and red before shooting Loki in the chest. He fell back onto the stairs, causing him to let loose a cry of pain when he sat up, watching the armored man point countless weapons at him.

"Make a move, reindeer games." The man said as Captain America stood beside him, holding his shield.

Loki put his hands up, his armor vanishing from his body as he was again in his black and green leather cuirass.

"Good move." The man said, lowering his weapons as they stood in silence, watching the God submit to capture.

_Good, that ends your madness. _

_ You need to sleep, you pathetic waste_. Loki said to his Jotun form.


	42. Thor's Appearance

Loki sat, strapped into their aircraft with the man of Iron and Captain America watching him over their shoulders. He sat, silent, unconsciously burying his Jotun side, feeling the power flowing over his miniscule existence until he felt fully present.

In the midst of his thoughts, there was a flash of lightening overhead, and he looked up and around, knowing who would soon make an appearance.

"What's the matter, scared of a little lightning? The Captain asked.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows." Loki replied curtly when a boom rocked and rumbled the aircraft. Loki sat back in his seat when the doors opened beside him, and Thor stomped down. Loki felt his Jotun cold creeping up but he suppressed it quickly as the Man of Iron walked forward, but he stood no match for Mjolnir, as from one push, both mortals were thrown back into the carrier.

Thor then turned his attention to Loki.

He yanked the straps from the harness and pulled Loki to his feet before running off the ledge of the doors, flying, or possibly falling through the foggy air. In the mist, he was turned onto his back and upon the next instant, he was hitting rock hard. Grunting, he held his stomach before laughter escaped his smiling lips.

"Where is the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"Oh, I missed you too." Loki countered, still lying on the ground.

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" Thor threatened.

"Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here?" Loki asked, sitting up slowly.

With a boom from Mjolnir being dropped to the ground, Thor jerked Loki to his feet, a wince of pain flowing through Loki's body as he was standing upright.

"I thought you dead." Thor said, a tear glinting in his eye.

"Did you mourn?" Loki asked, not going to let Jotun rise anytime soon.

"We all did." Thor said. At Loki's lack of emotion, Thor spoke. "Do you remember none of that?"

Loki brushed Thor off him, walking down the rock face, holding the small of his back before turning to Thor. "I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss, I who was and should be king!"

"So you take this world as recompense for your imagined slights?" Thor asked.

"The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you ideally threat. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?" Loki asked as Thor walked towards Loki so their eyes were level.

"You think yourself above them?" Thor asked softly.

"Well, yes." Loki said, his green eyes narrowed at Thor, his once husband able to be so cruel to the one he loves.

"Then you miss the truth of ruling." Thor smiled, placing a hand on Loki's shoulder. "A throne would suit you ill." Loki hissed and hit Thor's shoulder as he walked back up the rock face.

"I've seen worlds you've never known about!" Loki hollered, looking out at the stars before whirling back to Thor. "I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it..."

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?" Thor asked, walking up to Loki.

"I _am_ a king!" Loki hollered in a raspy voice.

"Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this pointless dream!" Thor hollered back, taking Loki's shoulders in his hands and shaking him slightly before the tears came in his eyes. "You come home." He pleaded.

Loki hesitated, watching Thor cry for him before he shook his head, a smile creeping over his lips. "I don't have it."

Thor took his hammer and held it up to Loki's body, threatening him when Loki's hands went up in alarm.

"You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off, I know not where." Loki said.

"You listen well, demon. I..." Thor was suddenly knocked off the cliff by the Iron Man, Loki stood in the silence before he settled back on the mountain.

"I'm listening." He said softly before he watched the altercation below him taking place. The minutes went by quickly when he was once again taken prisoner by the mortals, his once husband in the company now, making his Jotun side quiver with fear, excitement, and sadness, longing mixed in.


	43. We Are One, Loki

After Loki had been caged by Fury, he was left alone after a talk, a few jabs at the supposed heros who held him captive. They didn't know who they were messing with. He paced the cell before sitting down in anger. He didn't understand what he had done to get captured but he knew this is where he would like to be. It was all part of his plan, so he smiled to himself as he closed his eyes and met again his Jotun form. Jotun Loki only shook his head, a look of disgust on his blue face.

"_And what is it you scoff at so openly?_" Loki asked, sneering at his other half.

Jotun hesitated, drawing a set backwards for a moment. "_How could you say those things to him?" _

Asgaridan Loki clenched his jaw, watching his blue half wrap his arms around himself.

"_Have you not a simple heart? Not even to tell you what's right and wrong?"_ Jotun asked, tentatively walking towards his captor, his jailer.

"_What are you to speak down upon me?"_ Asgaridan said, his teeth bared like an angry animal. "_What I'm doing is what your dreams have been made of. This is what you've wanted your whole life." _

Jotun Loki shook his head softly. "_Not like this."_ Was all he could say.

Asgaridan Loki growled deep in his throat, making his other half flinch. "_How would you rule, if not like this? If not how it's meant to be?"_

"_Don't you remember what mother said? She said ruling is meant for two, not one."_ Jotun walked up to Asgardian Loki, placing his shaking blue hand on his shoulder. "_We were made to rule with Thor. How can you not see?"_

Asgardian Loki chuckled coldly. "_How can you still fall back to Thor? He's the one who started this war within us!" _

"_I know, somewhere in your heart, that you love him, just as I do."_ Jotun said softly, searching Loki's green eyes with his red ones. "_Please, at least let me see him, speak a few words to him." _

"_Why should I? You have no reason to speak to him." _Loki said, brushing off the blue hand from his shoulder.

"_We are one, Loki._" Jotun said softly. In the silence following, the sounds of Jotunheim flowed around them, swimming through their ears. The sound of the flying wind, the crying ice and dying people. Asgardian Loki turned and faced Jotun with an angry look, their eyes locked as Jotun brought up the sounds of their real life, their true heritage and their history. The dying legacy they couldn't go back to, no matter how badly they chose to. Towards the end, a woman's voice flowed around them, singing a lullaby in their ears, as simple as a music box in tune and tone but loving and longing filled her voice. As the lullaby was the only thing playing around them, Jotun Loki spoke. "_No matter what you do to me, you can't change the fact that we are two sides of one being." _

Asgardian Loki smiled before inhaling as he walked towards Jotun, who finally let the haunting tune die away, plunging them into silence once again. Asgardian loki stopped in front of his other half and smiled, placing his hands on the shoulders of the other.

"_Perhaps you can indeed play a role here."_ He said before taking the other in a hug. "_Perhaps you may indeed help me."_ He smiled a steely grin over his others shoulder, evil intentions in his head of what he could have Jotun Loki do for him. Indeed, his role wasn't quite over yet.


	44. Red Ledger

"Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?" Loki asked. The Black Widow had come now to talk with him. He would hear her out, but he was already growing bored.

"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian... or was." She said, sitting down on a chair as he did the same, watching her talk.

"And what are you now?" He asked softly, he could tell she didn't really want to talk much anymore, so she stood and walked to the glass, arms crossed over her black clad chest.

"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out." She said simply but with a sharp edge to it.

Loki hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter, Sao Paulo, the hospital fire?" He watched before standing, he watched as her composure began slipping. He slowly walked towards her, his voice growing in volume. "Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away."

Loki slammed his fist on the glass, making her jump as he felt the power coursing through his veins. He would tell her what would happen to Barton if she wanted the reality. He would give it to her.

"I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull!" He smiled inside as she walked away, he could barely see the glint of tears in her eyes. "This is my bargain, you mewling quim!" He spat, his breathing hard from the adrenaline shooting through him, the excitement of breaking the Widow.

"You're a monster." She said softly, he could see her shaking.

Loki smiled, chuckling coldly. "Oh no, you brought the monster." He said, letting his hand slide down the glass.

She turned suddenly, her composure steeled over again. "So, Banner... that's your play."

"What?" Loki asked in a little bit of a raspy voice.

She placed her hand on her ear before walking around the cage, speaking furiously. "Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well." She stopped and turned to him when she reached the doorway.

"Thank you for your cooperation." She said before running out of the room. Loki stood there, dumbfounded and more angry then ever. He was ready to unleash his play on Jotun's side of things.


	45. Jotun's Role

"_Say only what needs to be spoken, you don't have long."_ Asgardian Loki said in Jotun's head. Loki looked around and blinked away the bright white light surrounding him in the cage and watched as a man he didn't recognize dressed in black pressed a button on the console and the door on the far side of the cage began to open with a hiss of air.

Loki stood inside the threshold, unsure of what action to take. He desperately wanted to see Thor, he wanted to go home while he had the slightest chance to run, but he knew he couldn't act on it when a sudden sound of footsteps sounded in the corridor.

As if he had heard his cries for help, Thor appeared in the doorway.

"No!" Thor hollered before Loki panicked.

"Thor, no! It's me!" He cried, the tears already streaming down his cheeks. Thor hesitated, staring at the man who stood before him. Was it really Loki? He looked up at the eyes, those were the clue. They were blue.

"Loki." Thor breathed before running to him.

"Yes, it's me." Loki sighed, smiling at the thought of possibly getting away.

"Enough!" The voice cried in his head, and Loki cried for Thor.

"Thor stop! Please, leave this chamber!" Loki screamed, his hands out defensively in front of him when he felt himself slipping away. "Don't hurt him, please!" Loki cried at his other half when he was smothered away in a wash of green light, crying worse in the jail of his power mad side.

The door shut with a loud boom and Thor was looking out from behind the glass, back at the doorway where he had seen his husband crying for him, but he hadn't listened. He looked around and found Loki standing beside the console of the cage, hands behind his back, watching him beneath furrowed brows, cocking his head to the side softly.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki asked. When Thor didn't respond to his question, he smirked his pale lips and walked to the console, meeting Thors eyes again. "The humans think us immortal." He pulled the cover up from the button that would engage the trap. "Shall we test that?"

Loki froze however when a grunt sounded through the chamber. His body guard had been killed from behind and Agent Coulson stood there, a giant gun in his hands. He stared at Loki, who was returning his stare. Thor was surprised at Loki's sudden freeze in action.

"Move away please." Coulson said. Loki held up his hands in a surrender like stance as he slowly walked away from the console and towards the little agent with the gun. "You like this? We worked on the prototype when you sent the Destroyer. Even I dont know what it does." A button pressed and the light of orange flew through the gun, the mecanism humming with life. "You want to find out?"

The next moment was a wave of sounds, the sinking of Loki's scepter through Coulson's chest from behind, Coulson's cry of pain and Thor's scream and pound on the glass. Loki yanked the staff from the man and watched as he slumped to the ground beside him, gasping for breath and blood dripping from his mouth. Loki slowly walked back to the console, breathing hard with the excitement of torment he had given to Thor. Looking over at his caged husband, he gestured to the bloody staff with a sick smile on his face as he opened the button, the air whirling around them and his hand poised on the button that would drop Thor.

They watched each other for a few moments before pushing the button and Thor was launched out of the ship, into the air and falling to the Earth. Taking his hand off the button, he walked out when he heard a familiar voice.

"Your going to lose."

Stopping in his stance, he turned around and stared at the dying agent leaning against the wall, gasping for air. "Oh, am I?" Loki asked softly.

"It's in your nature." Coulson said.

Loki smirked, slowly walking towards Coulson. "Your heros are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky; where is my disadvantage?" Loki asked, stopping a few feet from his victim.

"You lack conviction." Coulson said.

Loki felt his lips forming into a thin, hard line. "I don't think I-

The next moment, Loki was pushed back by a flaming ball of fire in his stomach, tearing him through a steel wall and onto the ground, where he rolled for a few paces but regained himself in some few seconds. He barely heard Coulson's withering voice.

"So that's what it does."

him in the cage and watched as a man he didn't recognize dressed in black pressed a button on the console and the door on the far side of the cage began to open with a hiss of air.

Loki stood inside the threshold, unsure of what action to take. He desperately wanted to see Thor, he wanted to go home while he had the slightest chance to run, but he knew he couldn't act on it when a sudden sound of footsteps sounded in the corridor.

As if he had heard his cries for help, Thor appeared in the doorway.

"No!" Thor hollered before Loki panicked.

"Thor, no! It's me!" He cried, the tears already streaming down his cheeks. Thor hesitated, staring at the man who stood before him. Was it really Loki? He looked up at the eyes, those were the clue. They were blue.

"Loki." Thor breathed before running to him.

"Yes, it's me." Loki sighed, smiling at the thought of possibly getting away.

"Enough!" The voice cried in his head, and Loki cried for Thor.

"Thor stop! Please, leave this chamber!" Loki screamed, his hands out defensively in front of him when he felt himself slipping away. "Don't hurt him, please!" Loki cried at his other half when he was smothered away in a wash of green light, crying worse in the jail of his power mad side.

The door shut with a loud boom and Thor was looking out from behind the glass, back at the doorway where he had seen his husband crying for him, but he hadn't listened. He looked around and found Loki standing beside the console of the cage, hands behind his back, watching him beneath furrowed brows, cocking his head to the side softly.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki asked. When Thor didn't respond to his question, he smirked his pale lips and walked to the console, meeting Thors eyes again. "The humans think us immortal." He pulled the cover up from the button that would engage the trap. "Shall we test that?"

Loki froze however when a grunt sounded through the chamber. His body guard had been killed from behind and Agent Coulson stood there, a giant gun in his hands. He stared at Loki, who was returning his stare. Thor was surprised at Loki's sudden freeze in action.

"Move away please." Coulson said. Loki held up his hands in a surrender like stance as he slowly walked away from the console and towards the little agent with the gun. "You like this? We worked on the prototype when you sent the Destroyer. Even I dont know what it does." A button pressed and the light of orange flew through the gun, the mecanism humming with life. "You want to find out?"

The next moment was a wave of sounds, the sinking of Loki's scepter through Coulson's chest from behind, Coulson's cry of pain and Thor's scream and pound on the glass. Loki yanked the staff from the man and watched as he slumped to the ground beside him, gasping for breath and blood dripping from his mouth. Loki slowly walked back to the console, breathing hard with the excitement of torment he had given to Thor. Looking over at his caged husband, he gestured to the bloody staff with a sick smile on his face as he opened the button, the air whirling around them and his hand poised on the button that would drop Thor.

They watched each other for a few moments before pushing the button and Thor was launched out of the ship, into the air and falling to the Earth. Taking his hand off the button, he walked out when he heard a familiar voice.

"Your going to lose."

Stopping in his stance, he turned around and stared at the dying agent leaning against the wall, gasping for air. "Oh, am I?" Loki asked softly.

"It's in your nature." Coulson said.

Loki smirked, slowly walking towards Coulson. "Your heros are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky; where is my disadvantage?" Loki asked, stopping a few feet from his victim.

"You lack conviction." Coulson said.

Loki felt his lips forming into a thin, hard line. "I don't think I-

The next moment, Loki was pushed back by a flaming ball of fire in his stomach, tearing him through a steel wall and onto the ground, where he rolled for a few paces but regained himself in some few seconds. He barely heard Coulson's withering voice.

"So that's what it does."


	46. Stark Tower

As Loki sat in Stark Tower, he was contemplating what he would do when they arrived. As he sat and thought of this, an eruption of energy shook the windows of the tower, and he walked onto the rounded balcony to investigate. He then stood and stared up at the Iron Man, giving him a smug smile as the floating man then turned his own attention to him before landing opposite him on the balcony, appearing to remove his armor as Loki walked back to the tower, watching over his shoulder at the mortal so he wouldn't be taken advantage of.

They both walked into the tower, and Loki began with a smile. "Please tell me your going to appeal to my humanity."

"Actually, I'm planning to threaten you." Tony Stark stopped on his stairs, watching Loki for a few moments. Loki smirked and shifted his scepter to the other hand, but he began to feel something odd, was he getting cold? He tried to ignore it at the moment and press on.

"You should have left your armor on for that." He said.

"Yeah." He walked down the stairs now. "Seen a bit of mileage and you've got the glow stick of destiny." Loki's eyes fell to his staff. "Would you like a drink?"

Loki watched him for a few moments to mask his own discomfort and confusion of what was happening inside him. "Stalling me won't change anything."

"No, no no, threatening." Tony turned and watched Loki, the tension a little obvious. "No drink, you sure? I'm having one."

Loki quickly turned and walked to the window, his breathing growing a little quick as the cool temperature reached his fingers. "The Chitauri are coming, nothing can change that." He turned back to Stark, fighting through his discomfort. "What have I to fear?"

"The Avengers." Tony said, pouring his drink. When Loki didn't respond, he continued. "It's what we call ourselves, sort of like a team. Earths mightiest heroes type thing."

"Yes." Loki said with an amused smile as he walked to the center of the room again. "I've met them."

Tony smirked. "Takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that. But, let's do a head count here, your brother, the demigod."

Loki kind of fizzled out of the conversation as he bit back the cold that was now flowing from his lips. He paced the room, giving Tony the space to talk to himself as Loki clenched his freezing fists, closed his eyes for a moment and blinked rapidly. He returned to the conversation when Tony pointed him out, gaining Loki's attention.

"You've managed to piss off every single one of us."

"That was the plan." Loki hissed, but he tried to swallow, and he couldn't, the freezing rigidity of his throat was soon making him unable to speak; or at least harder to form any words as the cold air flowed from him. He secretly hoped Tony couldn't feel him falling apart by some unknown element, growing from inside him. He watched as Stark walked around his counter and down towards him.

"Not a great plan. When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."

Loki could feel his eyes beginning to water from their, for some reason, incredibly hot state. "I have an army." He rasped, not moving a muscle as Tony stopped a few feet from him.

"We have a hulk. Listen, there is no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top." Loki clenched his fingers around his scepter to try and gain feeling back into his frozen hand, watching Tony with a vengeance. "Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. If we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it." Tony paused to take a drink from his cup, Loki decided he had to make a move.

He slowly walked up to Tony, feeling his aching muscles crying for him to stop moving, and he brought his scepter up, but he took some sharp, raspy intakes of breath, but no oxygen came into his lungs. He started coughing softly and he saw Tony watching him with no understanding of what was happening. Loki felt himself slumping over, not standing as straight for his exhaustion took over, and Tony watched as the eyes changed from their green to a red hue, but not all the way coloring them only a slight sheen came over them as he met eyes with the mortal. It was now or never.

"Please, help me..." Jotun Loki said, but Tony looked like he wasn't buying it.

"Who are you, exactly?"

"Find Thor, tell him..." He brought in quivering breaths as the body began to straighten again, his eyes slowly losing the sheen, a terrified look came to his face. "The fire in my heart...still burns...green..." He took in a raspy, deep breath as he heard what appeared to be ice cracking and the color was gone, the eyes green again and the evil Loki standing before him, taking Tony's face in a hand and tossing the unsuspecting Tony to the ground. Loki watched him stand up before again taking that disgusting face in his hand, and he growled.

"You will all fall before me." He knew this was both spoken for Earth, but for his slip up of control on his Jotun self, his anger overflowing as he hoisted the man up and threw him out the window. He heard the man scream and turned to find something red behind him. It flew up and smacked him on the face, knocking him hard to the ground. As he grunted and stood, The Iron Man surfaced again, rising to his level while Loki stood.

"And there's another person you pissed off. His name was Phil." Stark said. Loki rose his scepter but Stark shot him in the chest, making Loki's already pained body fall to the ground as he let out a strangled scream, his throat still tight and cold from the impact, but he lay there and smiled when he heard the familiar sound of the portal opening.

The war had finally begun.


	47. Thor

Loki slowly walked to the edge of the balcony, watching the chaos being to rain. He smiled in joy of his final delivery of hell when he heard a boom to his left. Turning, he saw Thor. He felt anger at first, but a small flicker of hope and happiness deep within him that he smothered in seconds, intent on keeping his pathetic Jotun side buried for a long while yet.

"Loki! Turn off the tesseract or I'll destroy it!"

"You can't! There's not stopping it. There's only, the war." Loki said.

"So be it." Thor said as Loki screamed and jumped down to fight him. They carried on for a while, swinging, jumping, punching and shooting as they slowly demolished the balcony of the tower, and a few Chitauri flew by them, making Loki smile as his resolve still strengthened. In the wake of the battle, an aircraft came up and pointed its guns at them.

Loki punched Thor down and swung around to face the machine, pointed his scepter at it and flashed blue light, their engine blowing in flames as they fell from the air, but Thor tackled him from behind, throwing punches that made Loki's cool body hurt even worse as he let out some tired and angry grunts at his unforgiving state.

A rumble set itself deep in the air as Thor and Loki momentarily stopped, their weapons intwined as they watched the massive monster float down from the portal, growling its superiority over the foolish mortals. Loki couldn't help but smile at his great success of breaking such a race, just as he had planned when it all began. He knew he was strong enough. He always knew.

"Look at this! Look around you!" Thor hollered, and Loki did look, trying to catch his breath finally, to ease his fatigue. Instead, he had to push down the threat of cold again, steeling it over quickly so Thor wouldn't see or feel a trace of his once husband, just itching to get out. "You think this madness will end with your rule?"

"It's too late." Loki spoke. "It's too late to stop it." He felt himself slipping again as he locked eyes with Thor.

"No. We can, together." Thor said, and when their eyes met, Loki felt a tear falling down his face, a futile cry for help from his other half when Loki thrust a small dagger into Thor's side, making him release Loki's weapon from its hold, falling to his knees. "Sentiment." Loki breathed as he smiled.

Loki, however, wasn't expecting Thor to smash him into the glass, pick him up and throw him down onto the ground. He lay there for a moment, stunned at the thought that Thor had seen the tear and intended to beat this Loki back inside for good when Loki spun from the balcony and fell through the air, abandoning his scepter and landing on a Chitauri flight machine, taking it upon himself to personally eliminate mortals.

Finally become the war leader he was destined to be.

He smiled to himself as he flew through the air, shooting unsuspecting targets, vulnerable and weak targets. He did, however, make sure that the fight was trained around the group Avengers, even though they were scattered. He still had fun toying with them.

He knew he would be a good king. He pushed the machine faster, zooming through the air to befall as many victims he could get his eyes on. He fought back the now constant feeling of cold emanating from his body as he concentrated.

_He just never gives up,_ Loki thought.


	48. Puny God

Loki watched from his perch on the Chitauri machine as he floated beside the portal, watching the gigantic monster be demolished by their Hulk. He steeled the cold over once again, but couldn't ignore it's growing strength in his shoulders and knees. He grimaced as he watched the failure beneath him, growing angry at their growing capability as a collective roar erupted from the Chitauri at their fallen war machine. Loki listened to it for a few seconds before speaking.

"Send the rest." He said before he again flew down to make some cars explode, citizens scream and spill blood before he looked up and saw at least three more of the giants float down, raining upon the mortals, striking fear again as he smiled, shooting ever faster; ignoring, for now, the icy breath floating from his lips.

After a few moments of flight, he spotted her. The woman who spoke to him when he was captured; he'd hoped he'd skewered her upon shooting his venomous words, but it had set in motion his plan for escape, which he was glad for as he flew upon her, shooting some rounds as she looked over her shoulder and resumed her flight faster and higher. He pushed his own machine, winding around her from multiple directions, trying to aim and hit a thruster or something, but he failed because his vision was beginning to blur. He blinked furiously, trying to focus as they scooped upwards in the air, but he heard something that he knew instantly was the work of his once minion, the Hawk himself.

Smirking, he took his hand up and stopped the arrow as it would pierce his face, and he looked at it before looking back at the Hawk's perch when it exploded in his hand. He flew from the machine and landed on Tony's balcony in a shower of glass as he let out a pained groan, the cold making his body fatigued once more as he sat up and watched the Hulk flying at him. He stood just as the Hulk landed and punched him back, through the window and hard into the wall of the tower, he fell on his stomach before pushing up again. As the monster stamped its fists, he screamed in his horse throat, the pain rippling through it.

"ENOUGH! You are all of you beneath me!" The Hulk stopped for a moment. "I am a God, you dull creature! And I will not be bullied by-"

He was taken by his foot and smashed around like a doll on the ground, his body unable to protect itself in the shower of stone, glass piercing his skin and the sound of his breathing growing ragged at the freezing temperature slowly escalating within him; he couldn't concentrate enough to repress it as he was thrown down with such force, he made a crater with his body, his hands limp over his stomach as he gazed at the ceiling, unblinking and freezing.

"Puny God." The Hulk said as Loki let out a strangled groan of the pain wracking his body. He didn't move, didn't dare as his eyes slowly began to flutter closed, currently ignoring the war happening around him. He was just so exhausted.

He could close his eyes for a moment, right?


	49. Freezing Over

As Loki's eyes closed, he was soon faced with his Jotun side as he felt himself growing ever colder. The blackness surrounding them seemed everlasting as he stared at his blue second half, who was shaking with rage, his icy fists clenched.

_"Why have you done this?"_ Jotun Loki asked.

_"To give you the taste of power you've always wanted."_ Asgardian Loki said.

Jotun shook his head. _"Not like this."_

_"What other way, then?"_ Asgardian said. _"Claiming Odin's throne?"_ He hollered.

_"You didn't have to come out!"_ Jotun hollered, and in doing so, the ice over his fists crackled, growing up his arms as Asgardian Loki was frozen to the spot, his boots covered in the blue sheen, thick and unbreakable. _"You didn't have to sever my relationship with the God I love."_ He spoke calmly now, but it didn't settle well with his other half.

_"We are one, just as you said. You can't tell me you didn't hate him in that moment." _

_"I hated myself for succumbing to your clutches._" Jotun said.

_"Yet you still lie, like me."_

_"You are a snake!" _Jotun said, and the ice flowed up to Asgardian Loki's knees, making him wince at the cold, searing pain shooting through him. _"You don't deserve to speak after what you've done, using me in your filthy place." _

Asgardian Loki smirked, growing amused at his others crumbling state. _"So you finally use your words as they are meant to be released."_ He said, and Jotun rose his shoulders, growing tense as he walked towards his frozen half, the ice still climbing ever higher, stopping in the middle of his thighs.

_"And you misuse yours."_ Jotun said. The ice was making Asgardian Loki cringe, slumping over and grimacing as the ice began to capture his wrists against his sides. Both of them didn't speak for a few long, painful moments as the other was further encased, the arms and stomach now steeling over rather quickly as it grew in thickness from the feet up, making it near impossible for him to escape, let alone move. _"You deserve this pain."_ Jotun said. He didn't care how he dealt with his other half at this point, he wanted him buried deep inside himself, in the darkest corner so he could never surface again.

If he had to be predaceous to achieve it, so be it.

Asgardian Loki chuckled a very breathy, pained laugh. _"Finally, you act like the King your were born to be."_ He said, and Jotun wouldn't hear of it without another burst from ice, now flowing over his shoulders, up his neck so Asgardian was forced to look up into his red, flaming eyes. _"You use it for strength and control." _

_"The only one I'll ever need to control."_ Jotun said as the ice flowed over the others mouth now, his eyes locked and pained. _"Is you."_ He said before he watched as the ice flew over the remainder of his other half, crackling and freezing as it again thickened to the impossible, unbreakable density. He felt himself calming down as he finally exhaled, releasing the tension within him as he now dominated his body once more, ready to finally open his eyes and see Thor again.

He could wait to touch Thor again, to show it was him and not the monster who took up a small residence in him.


	50. Bonds

Loki could feel the force of something cracking his protective, thick ice barrier that had formed over him as he fought with his inner half, he felt the warm air driving the cold away and he heard someone call his name.

"Loki?"

He swallowed at hearing Thor's voice, but his eyes wouldn't open just yet as he moved his head to one side, the darkness not wanting to release him. He did, however, feel the warmth of that hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it, the warmth beginning to spread through his icy body as he took in a deep breath and his eyes shot open, showing the red of his native color, his skin deep blue and markings on his skin as he smiled up at Thor, who looked so happy to see his true beloved again.

Loki smiled and he brought his hand up to take hold of Thor's wrist when he noticed something.

"Where's my ring?" He asked, and Thor only shook his head and moved his hand under his neck, beginning to pull Loki gently from his crater. Loki winced at the pain that flowed through his damaged body as he was loosened from his prison and hoisted against Thor's chest, into the warmth he so missed. Loki closed his eyes and felt the chill fall away from his body as he began to feel his markings disappear, along with his blue color, his eyes opening to reveal a beautiful blue color, but the company surrounding them pointed their weapons at Loki, making him scared as he looked weakly at them.

"Lay down your weapons." Thor said, taking his hammer and placing it in between the couple and the company, a warning that they obeyed by replacing their weapons at their sides. "Loki, what happened?" Thor asked, taking Loki's jaw in his hand softly.

"I buried him, Thor." He said. "He shouldn't be able to return for a long while yet." Loki closed his eyes and inhaled Thor's scent, leaning into the body that was his rock, his hope. "Take me home, Thor. Please..."

Thor only hugged Loki as he began to cry, shaking in his grasp as Loki spoke for the company to hear. "Please forgive me. I was his body, his puppet." He shivered harder, swallowing his fear so it wouldn't spill through his eyes. "If I could take it all back, I would. But I can't be here anymore, it'll only make it worse..."

"Make what worse?" The woman asked, but she was drowned out by a man in red and gold armor.

"How do we know he's not tricking us?" He asked.

Thor looked up at the man, then back down at Loki's crying eyes. "The other could never possess such beautiful, pure blue eyes." He smiled softly before leaning down and kissing Loki's forehead, rocking him back and forth as Loki still cried, unable to hold it back any longer.

A few hours later, Thor was binding Loki's wrists in cuffs and about to bind his lips again with a silver mask when he gazed into Loki's eyes.

"It's only until we get home. I promise." He said.

Loki nodded, giving Thor a weak smile. "I understand." He said as Thor placed it and secured it tightly over his loves mouth. It pained him to do so, but he kissed Loki's cheek before walking him out and onto the concrete, where they would return home. He held Loki's forearm in his hand and watched as the few people lowered the tesseract into the glass container, closing it and offering one end to Thor. He took it and Loki the other as Thor nodded to the group, twisted the handle and they vanished into a blue vortex, flying through space for only a few seconds before they landed in the newly rebuilt Bifrost, Loki swaying for a moment to regain his footing.

Loki turned to face Odin and Frigga, who gazed upon him with sad eyes as Thor again took his arm and walked him along the rainbow bridge, passing a disappointed looking Heimdall. Loki soon dreaded what the villagers gazed upon him in his walk of shame to the castle. People either gave him looks of sadness, hatred or misunderstanding as he was ushered through the stuffed streets, knowing people thought he did this on purpose, thinking he was a menace of a king.

He clenched his jaw under his restraints to the point it pained him, but he didn't ease on it. They entered a corridor leading below the castle, down into a dark place, miles below the surface. They walked down many flights of stairs, to the point Loki didn't want to walk down any more when they reached their destination. Loki looked around the dark prison, the only white light from the walls inside the yellow rimmed cell, with one window as his source of visitation, if he got any.

The guards soon tore him from Thor's grasp, and they took off his bonds from his mouth and hands, removing his armor so he was standing in his leather pants and a green shirt as they opened a door in the magical barrier and he walked into his cell. It consisted of a bed, luckily a large looking one, a table that held water and books containing words on magic and the other realms as the door sealed behind him. Loki turned and walked to the barrier, staring at Thor, who was the only one to linger.

Loki walked right up to it and placed his palm flat against it, causing it to glow a lighter color of yellow. He watched Thor walk up just as close and place his palm on the other side, gazing into one another's eyes for a long while until they were interrupted by Odin, who beckoned Thor away. Thor took one last look at Loki, blew him a kiss and walked out, rather reluctantly as Loki watched the door close.

Loki swallowed and felt his skin growing colder. Looking down as he walked away from the barrier, his skin turned blue once again, from being separated from his mate, his husband, his only love in the nine realms. He slumped against the far wall, his hands on his knees, drawn to his chest and he wept. He cried like he had when he lost his home, possibly worse.

For nothing could comfort him now. Not when all he wanted was a night spent with Thor.


	51. Say Something

**This is inspired by the song Say Something by A Great Big World.**

As Loki lay on his bed, curled up into a ball, he wished for nothing more than to see Thor again. It had been two, excruciatingly long days and nights, lonely. He lay facing the wall, not the window of yellow. He had no more tears to shed, he'd done enough of that for a while now as he clenched his sheets in a blue fist.

He failed, however, to see the guards abandoning their posts. He failed to hear the barrier open and close behind a visitor. He failed to hear Thor's bare feet hit the ground as he sat beside the bed, only watching Loki's back, not speaking. After a few long, tense moments of silence, Thor spoke softly.

"Your blue."

Loki shifted so he was laying on his back, extending a hand out to Thor, whose pale hand grazed his blue fingers. The blue eyes locked with his red, and a small smile lifted his lips, the sorrow of the last few days fading very barely.

"It's to be expected." Loki whispered. "I understand if things have changed between us." He said, looking at the white ceiling. "I wouldn't expect you to love me, after everything I did..."

Loki's voice trailed off when Thor's hand clenched his, making him swallow back tears that he didn't think he could cry.

"I've always loved you, Loki. Even through it all, I knew you wouldn't give up." Thor said, but Loki didn't look at Thor. He couldn't. "You would never let him rule you, your stronger than that."

"How are you so sure?" Loki asked.

"You're here now." Thor said, kissing Loki's knuckles. "With me."

Loki let his face fall to the opposite wall, away from Thor still, trying to contain himself as Thor brought Loki's hand to his whiskers, pleading for Loki to speak, but when that didn't work, Thor spoke.

"Say something, my love. Please." He whispered, and Loki could feel the quake in his voice, as if he were ready to collapse into tears himself. Loki broke and turned around, sitting up and placing his legs on either side of Thor, who released his hand as Loki looked down at his husband with sad eyes.

"Why do you love me, Thor?" Loki asked, his voice quivering.

"You are and forever will be mine." Thor said. He took Loki's left hand in his own before looking back up into Loki's eyes. "I swear." He said before kissing Loki's ring finger, where his band should be. He glanced down at Thor's left hand and notice the ring was gone. Loki let his other hand lace into Thor's golden tresses as Thor let his hands drift up under Loki's shirt, his warm skin a contrast to Loki's cool temperature as he smiled at tracing some of the markings he had grown to miss, really.

Thor hoisted himself on his knees and gently tugged Loki's shirt over his head, tossing it aside as his hands still slid around his back, his lips joining in the fray as Loki's hands held the back of his head, needing this contact to keep from being permanently broken. His blue hands were shaking as Thor took him into a tight hug, kissing along his stomach and up his chest when his skin finally began to return to its pale color.

Loki tugged Thor's shirt up and over his head, and Thor slowly locked eyes with Loki before quicky dashing up to meet his lips in the most heartbreaking kiss they ever shared. It was sad, loving, greedy and passionate at once, the feelings overrunning them as Thor gently pushed Loki back down on the bed, their limbs easily intwining.

"I've missed you..." Loki said, taking hold of Thor's jaw in his hands, keeping him coming over and over with quick kisses, but Thor finally pushed through Loki's hold, giving the desperate touches length and fulfillment they both craved.

"Forgive me, love." Thor said between kisses. "I can't bear to see you locked away from me."

"Sshhh." Loki said before their lips locked again, hard and long, but gentle and sweet as they soon following rid their pants and underwear, laying naked together in the bed.

In the heat of their lovemaking, Loki lay on his back, arcing his neck into Thor's hand, closing his eyes as Thor claimed his neck with his lips. Their bodies were pressed together and their heartbeats were sinchronized as Loki's hands slid along Thor's spine, feeling his muscles working as their limbs became impossibly intwined. Thor moved his hands down Loki's sides, slipping them on the small of Loki's arched back, hot with a small sheen of sweat that Thor began licking from his collarbones, Loki letting out sighs and moans of pleasure as their pulsing, thrusting and gasping continued.

Loki's hands climbed back up and into Thor's now long blonde hair and brought their lips together for a kiss when one of Thor's hands took Loki in a tight grip, the groan swallowed by a moaning Thor, whose lips melted against Loki's needy ones. Thor moved his hand in rhythm with his thrusts and when they released, it was like nothing they ever felt before as Thor collapsed on Loki, removing himself with a smile, but Loki hadn't spoken a word in the course of this time together.

"Say something..." Thor said softly, and he joined Loki in gazing at the ceiling, then the walls and the yellow window. The ice had closed them off, the intricate patterns absolutely mind-blowing to Thor. It was very thin ice, but it was enough to make him happy as he tucked some hair behind his loves ear.

"I love you." Loki said as they kissed one final time and pulled the sheets over their hot, nude, tired bodies as they drifted off to sleep, hopeful that they may be able to share another one of these experiences before they parted again.


End file.
